


Just Like Magic

by Myllee



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, M/M, Minor Grey Worm/Missandei, Minor Renly Baratheon/Loras Tyrell, Nobody is underage though, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:42:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 113,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21587041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myllee/pseuds/Myllee
Summary: Daenerys and her friends are about to start their final year at Westeros Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry.Unbeknownst to Dany, this year will test her skills (and temper) in a way they have never been tested before.
Relationships: Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 959
Kudos: 794





	1. 9 3/4

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there!
> 
> I've been reading fics here for months now and finally gathered the courage to actually post this story. Kinda nervous about posting since it's been literally years since I've written anything (the last time was in my teens.. over 15 years ago, argh!).
> 
> Some notes about the Harry Potter elements of this story:  
> \- There are a lot of HP references here. You don't need to have read the books to understand what's going on, but being familiar with the world helps. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer.  
> \- I'll be taking some liberties with how the HP world works, if anything is confusing, just ask.
> 
> I would like to thank the wonderful authors here at AO3 who inspired me to go back to writing after all this time.
> 
> And a huge thank you for my beta-reader (aka my husband) for giving me invaluable insight (and fixing a lot of silly mistakes). Luv u honey <3<3<3 
> 
> So, without further ado... enjoy!

________________________________________

  
  


Daenerys pulled her heavy trunk behind her as she looked around the platform, her eyes searching. 

It was her final year at The Westeros Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry and she was eager to share it with her best friend. She was just about to pull out her cell when she heard somebody shout her name.

"Dany!"

She turned and saw Missandei hurrying towards her, a big grin on her face. 

"Missy!" she cried joyfully, stepping forward as her friend enveloped her in a fierce hug. They hadn't seen each other all summer and Dany had truly missed her.

"How have you been? How was Naath? Tell me everything!"  
She pulled her friend towards the waiting train, trunks dragging behind them.

"It was awesome. We spent almost a month at my grandparents' estate in the countryside. My grandmother is working on some experimental nature spells at the moment, it was actually very cool."

Missandei's grandmother was a renowned healer, specializing in nature and plant magic. 

While Missy was talking, Dany looked around, searching for their other friends.

"Seen Marg and Loras yet?" she asked Missy.

Margaery and Loras Tyrell, twin siblings, were their classmates and best friends. They became friends with Missy and herself during their second year at The Academy and have been inseparable since.

"Not a trace," frowned Missy, "and I've been here for at least twenty minutes... hold on, I'll text Marg."

She pulled out her phone and quickly typed. 

**Where are you guys??? The train is about to leave :o**

She got an answer a second later.

**We will JUST make it, I'll kill Loras for spending so much time on his hair this morning. Save us seats <3 **

They boarded the train as Missy went on about her grandmother's strange experiments with plants, setting out to find available seats. They waved to friends along the way. Some of their classmates waved jovially at them, while Joffrey Baratheon gave them an angry glare, staring after them until they lost sight of him.

"This boy is fucking creepy," muttered Dany as they finally found an empty compartment near the back of the train, careful not to step on any overexcited first-years.

"Gods, I know," groaned Missy, "My mom went to school with his mom and she said she had a really strange relationship with her twin brother." She shoved her trunk over their seats and sat down. 

"She heard rumours that Joffrey's father is actually her twin brother and not her husband. Freaky, huh?" Dany made a face and sat down as well, making herself comfortable.

Just as they settled down for the long ride, the compartment door slid open and Grey's head poked inside. 

"Grey!" Missy exclaimed happily. She got up and gave him a hug and a peck on the lips. They started dating the previous year and met a few times during the summer.

Dany smiled and stood up to hug him in greeting. She liked him, he was a nice guy, although typically silent. He transferred to The Academy only two years prior, having attended a magic school in Meereen before. He was wicked good at potion-making.

A few minutes later the train started moving, leaving the city behind.

They sat back lazily, Grey's arm resting around Missy's shoulders, still chatting about their summer. Dany told them all about her summer in her family estate in Dragonstone. Her summer wasn't very exciting. Viserys, her brother, who was her elder by two years, was doing an internship in the department of International Magical Law Enforcement in the Ministry of Magic. He had a long vacation during the summer so he came home to Dragonstone to spend some time with the family. Dany knew he was mostly there to keep her company and was secretly grateful for it. 

She hasn't always gotten along with Viserys, but he was her closest family member since Rhaegar died. She was glad not to be alone with her parents, who were moving around like ghosts since the death of their eldest son. Dragonstone was a pretty gloomy place to be around nowadays.

About five minutes into the ride, Margaery Tyrell burst into their compartment. She had long auburn hair, a pale heart-shaped faced and a permanent mischievous glint in her eyes. 

"Dany! Missy!" she cried out and went to envelop them in a big hug, "I've missed you guys so much."

"So did we, Marg," said Missy, the three of them hugging tightly.

"How was your summer?" Marg plopped down next to Dany, stealing a handful of every flavour beans from the bag on the table.

"It was fine, how was yours?" inquired Dany, swiping back the bag of beans and carefully choosing a white one. Cloud-flavoured, she determined as she chewed. Strangely airy but oddly satisfying.

"It was awesome," beamed Margaery "I met this cute warlock when we were visiting family in King's landing..".

Missy laughed "why do all your stories start with you meeting some guy?".

"That's how the best stories start, don't you think?" Margaery winked at her and Grey as Missy's cheeks pinked shyly.

_I wouldn't know_ , thought Dany gloomily, picking at a loose string on her shirt. She, unfortunately, had no guy stories to share, her brother being the only guy she spent long stretches of times with during the summer.  
Daario kept texting her during the summer, asking if she wanted to meet but she mostly ignored him. 

She had been stupid enough and drunk enough to kiss him the year before during the Yule ball. Since then he seemed to harbour the impression that they were an item (they were not) and was still pestering her from time to time. She wished he'd move on and leave her alone.  
He was nice enough but he just didn't make her feel like she thought she was supposed to feel. 

She glanced back at her friends, Missy and Grey still listening to Margaery gush about the guy she met during the summer and caught Missy looking at Grey, misty-eyed. She wanted that. That feeling, that connection, just... not with Daario.

"So what about you, Dany?" Marg asked, waking her up from her daydream "anything fun during the summer?"

"Not really, mostly it was just me and Vis getting occasionally drunk and doing stupid shit," Dany shrugged, wishing they'd talk about something else.

As if she read her mind, Margaery leaned in conspiratorially "well, I heard some interesting rumours during the summer about school," she announced.

"Oooh, do tell," Missy leaned in eagerly.  
Margaery's grandmother, a formidable and powerful witch was a school governor. Margaery always had the best gossip and knew about events before they were officially announced.

"I heard Professor Thorne has retired and that we're getting a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," she replied excitedly.

"That's good news," said Dany. She was never a big fan of Thorne, who was rigid and conservative in his teachings. She always thought a subject like Defence against the dark arts should be more exciting.

"So, who is it? Who's the new teacher?" asked Missy.

"No idea," Margaery shrugged "grandmother was tight-lipped about it, she wasn't happy to catch me eavesdropping," she giggled.

"Let me guess.. eavesdropping by magical means?" Missy laughed. Margaery was a notorious snoop.

"Can't blame a girl for being curious," Marg said nonchalantly, "how else am I to provide my dear friends with first-hand info about everything that's going on?" she winked at them and they all laughed.

"So how's Loras?" asked Dany, referring to Marg's twin brother, "and more importantly, WHERE is Loras?"

"He's good," said Margaery, "he's hanging out with Renly Baratheon, he's been texting with him all summer," she giggled "he won't say, but I think they're dating. They're so adorable."

Outside the train, a light rain started falling. It became heavier as the afternoon progressed, drumming on the top of the train. Missy was now dozing off, her head on Grey's shoulder. Margaery was now busy painting her nails bright crimson, carefully holding her wand as she drew slow strokes over her nails. 

Dany stared out the window at the falling rain, her mind far-off. A strange sense of melancholy settled over her. It was her last year. Their last year. She still wasn't sure what she wanted to do after school despite giving it a lot of thought.

She considered following Rhaegar's footsteps and becoming an Auror but she wasn't sure she could handle it after what happened to him...

Viserys was trying to convince her to come intern at the ministry with him, but she wasn't too enthusiastic about it. She didn't think she would be happy sitting at an office all day, drafting reports and attending meetings. She also briefly considered and discarded becoming a healer (she was never interested) and an internship at The Iron Bank.

She wished she could ride dragons, like her ancestors. The Targaryen bloodline had some famous Dragonriders, the history books were littered with stories of their heroics and adventures. But dragons were now extinct, so, sadly, she would never get the chance.

Missandei had already decided to try and get a job in the department of International Magical Co-operation in the ministry. She loved languages and chose many of them as electives such as ancient runes, High Valyrian, and Dothraki. Personally, Dany thought Missy had a great chance of getting in. She was smart and ambitious and a great person to be around.

She glanced wistfully at her best friend, who was still napping on Grey's shoulder. _Will we see each other after graduation?_ she wondered, _will we still be friends?_. Maybe if she got a job at the ministry she could still at least work alongside Missy, she thought gloomily.

The door to the compartment slid open again and Loras Tyrell stepped inside.

"Finally," Dany stood up to hug him, "no time for your friends now that you have a boyfriend, huh?"

Loras rolled his eyes and smiled, hugging her back "I missed you too, Dany."

He sat down next to his sister and grabbed the last of the every flavour beans (choking and sputtering when he happened across a blood-flavoured one).

The conversation turned to Quidditch, which both Margaery and Grey were huge fans of.

The chatter died down again as Margaery began to paint Loras' fingernails bright blue when he wasn't looking.  
A short time later, Missy yawned and opened her eyes, exclaiming happily when she saw Loras.

She then glanced out the window. 

"We're almost there, you guys," she said, "We better change."

Loras and Margaery stood up and stretched, slowly heading back to their compartment, Loras berating his sister when he finally found his nails were painted sky-blue.

Grey kissed Missy and disappeared to find his own luggage. Dany and Missy slowly pulled on their school uniforms, scowling at the sky that turned gray and stormy.

"Why does it ALWAYS rain when we arrive?" grumbled Missy, pulling her shoes back on.

⭐⭐⭐

They trudged out of the train, bowing their heads against the wind and the drizzle which was rapidly turning into a full-blown rainstorm. They quickly climbed into the carriage waiting for them and were joined by Grey and Loras, who was still fuming about the state of his fingernails.

Missy patted his hand comfortingly "I think it looks hot," she winked at him as he rolled his eyes, a mollified smile tugging at his lips.

As the carriages neared the school, Dany poked her head outside despite the heavy rain to sneak a peek at the castle, burning jewel-bright against the darkening sky.

_Westeros Academy._ It felt more like home than anywhere else.

  



	2. Professor Snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again,
> 
> So I wanted to clarify something - in the HP books, first-year students at Hogwarts are 11, which makes them about 17 yo in their 7th and final year. In this story, I'm modifying the ages a bit so that first-years are 12 years old, which makes them all 18 or older during the 7th year (because making Dany younger is creepy and wrong considering what's gonna be happening later on).
> 
> Here's some mood music for this chapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htaj3o3JD8I  
> Ahhhh.. really gives me that Hogwarts feeling ;)
> 
> Enjoy!  
>   
>   
> 

They shuffled into the castle, muddy shoes squelching on the floor. Most of the older students, Dany and Missy included, started twirling their wands in delicate circles, drying their wet clothes as best they could. Dany tried in vain to shake the water from her long silver tresses. The huge double-doors swung open, admitting them into the great hall.

Dany's heart soared at the sight of the burning torches, the long tables slowly filling with chattering students and the house flags adorning the walls. Grey pecked Missy on the cheek and hurried off towards the Hufflepuff table. Dany and Missandei made their way to the Gryffindor table along with Loras, waving goodbye to Marg who was heading towards the Slytherin table. She waved at them and winked at Loras, who was still pretending to be cross with her. 

Dany knew he was never really mad. Margaery was one of the kindest people she knew, despite her unfortunate inclination for practical jokes (mostly aimed at her own brother). She envied their close relationship sometimes.

She used to think it strange, that Marg ended up in Slytherin, a house with an unsavoury reputation, but then again, her own father and Viserys had been Slytherins in their time and they were decent people. And despite her sweet disposition, Marg was as cunning as they come. Her kindness and sweetness tended to lull people into a false sense of security and obscure her true motives.

She quietly chatted with Missandei and some of her other classmates around the table during the sorting ceremony, pausing every now and then to cheer when an excited first-year joined their table. Her ears perked up when a little girl with a determined face named Lyanna Mormont was swiftly sorted into Gryffindor.

"Do you think she's related to Jeor Mormont, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch?" she asked Missandei in a whisper as they both politely cheered for the young girl.  
"No idea," Missandei shrugged, "ask her."

"Jeor Mormont is my uncle," Lyanna clarified, "he retired a few years ago, but he says that his replacement is-" Dany and Missandei had no opportunity to hear what Mormont's replacement was, as just in that moment, headmaster Seaworth rose from his seat and raised his arms, the chatter quickly dying down.

"Welcome, students, to another year in Westeros Academy," his voice boomed, warmly looking around at the new students, "just a short notice before we can all tuck into our delicious feast."

"As some of you may have heard," he continued "Professor Thorne has chosen to retire from teaching in order to spend more time with his family. I kindly ask you to join me in welcoming our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Jon Snow." 

He gestured towards the end of the high table, where the new professor rose from his seat.

Dany, like every other student, eagerly leaned forward to get a good look at him. She craned her neck to look around Loras' head and her heart gave a _thud_. She was dimly aware of Loras gasping softly next to her and she knew exactly why.

Even at a distance, she could tell the new professor was not much older than they were. He was also _extremely_ attractive. Dark hair, a trim beard and piercing eyes the colour of which she couldn't determine from this distance, he was slim but fit, the sleeves of his wizard's robes stretching tautly across his chest and biceps. She felt rather than heard Loras exhale next to her.

"Damn," he whispered to her, "he's hot as fuck." Dany could only nod in agreement. She could hear excited whispers all around her, so Loras and herself were not the only ones to notice.

Headmaster Seaworth cleared his throat loudly as Jon Snow sat back down, and the excited whispers eventually quieted.

"Yes, thank you," said the headmaster pointedly, "Professor Snow will also be taking over Professor Thorne's old position as the head of Gryffindor house," he announced.

"Score!" Loras whispered gleefully next to her, "Marg is gonna be so mad...".

After announcing that in addition to the Yule Ball this year, they were also having a masquerade for Halloween (all students cheered loudly at that), the headmaster declared the feast had officially begun and everybody tucked into their plates.

"How old do you think he is?" Dany asked Missandei who was scooping mashed potatoes from a large dish.  
"Not sure," she frowned, "He seems very young, I thought you had to be at least thirty years of age to apply to teach here."

That was true, Dany mused, all of their other professors were considerably older. She couldn't remember anyone this young teaching at Westeros Academy in all of her six years of studying there.

She kept stealing glances at him during the meal, but couldn't get a good look, as he was sitting in the corner, having what seemed to be a lively discussion with Professor Lannister, the Charms teacher.

A short time later, the desserts materialised on the tables. Dany amused herself by poking her fruit salad with her wand, attempting to turn all the grapes into marshmallows. It sorta worked. They turned all white and fluffy but they tasted strange.

Shortly after, a cross-looking Marg strode towards their table and dropped down next to Loras, stealing a cupcake from his plate.

"How is it that you guys got the hot new teacher as your head of house?" she complained with a disgruntled frown. 

"Just luck of the draw, sis," Loras laughed, taking another cupcake from the large dish in the center of the table. She huffed and poked his shoulder. 

"I bet you'll go out of your way to misbehave so you can get called to his office," she said. 

"You know it," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at his sister as she stuck her tongue out to him. 

"What about you, Dany?" she smirked, "Are you gonna do something naughty, hoping to get punished?"  
Dany just shook her head as her cheeks flamed bright red, the others erupting into laughter.

Eventually, as the feast came to an end, the headmaster bade them all good night and asked them to head to their dormitories.

Missy scurried off to say good night to Grey, while Dany and Loras started making their way to the staircase leading to the Gryffindor tower. Halfway up Dany realized her wand was no longer in her pocket. She groaned in frustration as she patted her pockets, in a vain attempt to locate it.

"I must've left it on the table," she sighed, "I better go look." She told Loras she'd see him at the dorms and hurried back towards the great hall. 

She just rounded a corner and promptly slammed into something warm and very solid, almost falling back on her ass in the process. The solid thing hastily reached out and gently grabbed her arms to steady her.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't-" she started and then stopped with a breathless gasp as she realised she just ran face-first into Professor Jon Snow.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


"No worries," he said, removing his hands from her arms and straightening. She realized she was gaping at him like an idiot when he raised an eyebrow after a few seconds of silence and asked "any particular reason you're not heading to your dormitory, uh..,"

"D-Daenerys," she finally blurted, after a tense second in which she struggled to remember her own name, "Daenerys Targaryen."  
He had a deep Northern accent, and it was doing strange things to her belly. She was trying hard to concentrate on forming words.

"I, uh, I think I left my wand on the table."

"Ah," he reached into his pocket, "I was just about to do a locator spell, but I guess that won't be necessary now." From his pocket, he pulled out a wand. Her wand. He ran a hand over it, muttering something under his breath and it suddenly glowed brightly, before returning to normal. 

He handed the wand back to her. "Rosewood and dragon heart-string, is it?" he asked.

"Y-yes, that's me. I mean mine, it's my wand," she was blabbering, _why was she blabbering??_

She thought he was attractive when she glimpsed him from afar, but up close... the word 'breathtaking' came to mind. He had inky-black curls, plush soft-looking lips and... his eyes. She thought she would drown just staring at them. His voice was not making things easier, either. She was dimly aware he was talking again.

"You should probably be heading back then," he said, leaning on the doorframe, folding his arms, eyebrow raised.

"Yes, thank you, professor," she muttered, her cheeks burning, and started walking away, "uh, good night".

"Good night, Daenerys," he said over his shoulder, turning to walk in the opposite direction.  
Her name never sounded so lovely from anyone's lips before.

She ran up the staircase to her dormitory, taking the stairs two at a time. She muttered a hasty good night to Loras, who was sitting in the common room with a few friends and went up to her and Missy's room. Missy was already in her pj's, laying on her stomach in her bed, texting with Grey.

She told her goodnight and changed into her own nightclothes. She climbed into bed and pulled the blanket tightly around her. Eyes closed, her thoughts drifted to the chance encounter she had just minutes before.

 _Gray_ she thought, as she was falling asleep, smiling into her pillow, _his eyes are gray_.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was really short again, I know, but for a good reason. I decided to move about a quarter of it into the next chapter (it makes much more sense, you'll see..), so you'll be rewarded for your troubles by an extra-long chapter 3 ;)
> 
> Thank you all for reading, comments and kudos are always appreciated :)


	3. Ward and Shield

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, chapter 3 is here and it's longer than the first two put together.  
> Enjoy!

Morning dawned bright and misty. Dany and Missy crawled out of their beds, pulled on their uniforms and headed down to breakfast.  
Missy was on her second cup of coffee when Margaery glided over to their table to join them. She raised her eyebrow at Missy. 

"You look like shit, what have you been up to?"

"She stayed up half the night texting with Grey," said Dany, who was munching on toast and eggs.  
Missy flung her napkin at her. 

"Tattletale."

Marg laughed, "well, that's as good a reason as any to stay up all night around here. Better than most, actually."

Loras came to sit with them, yawning hugely, blindly grabbing for a cup of coffee. He narrowly missed Marg's teacup, reaching around with his eyes half-closed. 

"Hey, knucklehead, be careful," squealed Marge, checking her clothes for tea stains.

"Good morning to you too, sis," he grumbled, "why are you not sitting at your house table, again?"

"So I can enjoy your lovely morning disposition, of course," she replied sweetly, now satisfied nothing spilt on her, "why are you so tired, then? Were you up all night texting Renly again?"

Loras merely sipped his coffee, not bothering to answer her, though his cheeks flushed a light pink.

Dany was glad they could all sit together, despite belonging to different houses. In the past, the separation between houses had been a lot more rigid at The Academy. Students shared classes, meals and their free time mostly with other students from their house. A few years back, the headmaster decided to forgo most of these restrictions in order to 'promote school unity', so students were now having mixed classes and were encouraged to sit at whichever table they liked during meals, with the exception of the welcoming and end-of-year feasts.

The only thing that was kept completely separate was the dormitories, although students were now allowed to visit each others' common rooms and the location of the dorms was no longer kept secret.

"Did you guys get your timetables yet?" asked Marg, waving hers around under Missy's nose, "I have double-period potions now," she groaned.

Missy picked up the pile of sheets from the center of the table and handed Dany the one with her name stamped on it. Dany's heart skipped a beat when she saw her very first lesson was Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts, taught by Professor Jon Snow. Missy and Loras were, apparently, in the same class as well.

"Oh come ON," whined Marg, "I get double-potions with old Martell and you guys get to spend your morning with the hottest man in school," she huffed in annoyance, "I don't have him until tomorrow."

"Hey, I thought I was the hottest man in school," said Loras in mock outrage.

"Oh please," Marg waved her hand dismissively, "you're hardly a man.. a boy, more like..."

Loras rolled his eyes, laughing at her annoyance.  
"We'll tell you all about it, promise," he pecked her cheek and hastily rose from the table. Renly Baratheon had just finished his meal and was striding towards them. Loras joined him as they both walked off.  
"See you in class," he called to Dany and Missy over his shoulder.

"Yeah, we better go too," said Missy, picking up her bag and rising as well, "let's not be late to our very first lesson of the year."

"You go girls," said Marg, winking at them, she apparently was over her disappointment now, "try not to get distracted by his sweet ass and learn something." Missy rolled her eyes at her as they walked away, leaving the great hall behind.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany and Missy climbed a series of staircases, joining more students who were on their way to the classroom as well, finally arriving at a nondescript corridor with a door standing ajar at the end of it. Loras just caught up with them, panting slightly from running up the stairs. They walked into the room, looking around.

Professor Snow was standing inside, silently waiting while the students filed in and took their seats. He was leaning casually against the classroom wall, one foot flat against it, arms crossed loosely over his chest.

Instead of the wizard's robes he had donned on during the welcoming feast, he now wore black jeans and a black button-down shirt. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing strong, muscled arms and- _is that a direwolf tattoo??_

"Wow," Loras breathed into Missy's ear, "just when I thought he couldn't possibly be hotter."

She giggled, "Sssshh, Loras, what would Renly say?" she whispered teasingly.

"He'd agree with me, of course," he muttered back, snapping his mouth shut as Professor Snow kicked away from the wall and the room immediately silenced.

"Right so," he started, walking to the middle of the classroom, "today will be a practical lesson. Stand up, please."

Everybody scrambled up quickly, standing awkwardly beside their desks.

Professor Snow pulled out his wand, which was a curious ash-white color and gave it a flick. The desks rose from their spots and lined themselves against the walls.

"This year you're going to learn real-world, useful and practical Defence Against the Dark Arts," he started, not bothering with an introduction, "It will be difficult, it will be frustrating and it will require focus and hours of practice." 

He surveyed the room, most students had stupefied looks on their faces from the abrupt start.

"We will start with a standard Ward and Shield spell," he continued, "this type of spells are extremely useful during combat to ward off curses. Bear in mind that they won't block major curses, but they can and will lessen the intensity of some, which can provide you with some protection and buy you some precious time."

He turned, presenting his profile to them, and drew his wand, "we'll start with a simple barrier ward. The incantation is _Mīsagon_ from High Valyrian and is to be pronounced silently," he raised his wand, "the wand movement is to create a perfect circle, the more precise you are, the more powerful the ward will be. Observe." 

He raised his wand, drawing a large perfect circle in mid-air with an impressively fast wand movement. A huge silvery shield appeared in mid-air, slightly distorting the light around it.

There were impressed murmurs around the room, but Jon rolled his eyes at them.

"Nothing to be impressed by yet, let's test it." 

He pointed at a tall blonde Gryffindor, who Dany knew was named Brienne. He asked her to try and break the shield. She tried a few hexes, the ward successfully absorbing them all.

"Come on," he said, "are you a seventh-year or not? Don't hold back."

Brienne cast her eyes around the room, trying to come up with some other idea. She suddenly flung her wand up, aiming it at one of the desks. She shouted an incantation and the desk suddenly zoomed towards the shield, which still glowed in mid-air. 

The desk crushed into it with an ear-splitting noise, splintering into a thousand pieces.

A faint smile quirked Jon's lips, "that's more like it. You can take your spot back now."

Her cheeks flushed pink, Brienne went back to stand along the walls with the rest of them.

Professor Snow cleared the debris of the splintered desk with a flick of his wand and told the class to split into pairs and practice. One student conjuring the ward, the other attempting to break it.

He cleared his throat as they dutifully arranged themselves in pairs, "just please avoid any more flying desks, for now, minor hexes are fine, I doubt any of you will be able to conjure a strong enough ward to deflect any heavy objects for the time being."

Dany and Missy faced each other, Dany trying her hand at conjuring first. It was difficult spellwork indeed. Her shield was like a flimsy, spectral oval hovering in mid-air, and it disintegrated immediately with anything Missy threw at it.

Jon Snow was walking among the students, observing them and correcting their wand movements. She raised her arm and drew a circle again, forming the incantation in her mind. The ward glowed dimly for a moment and then flickered and died. She groaned in frustration, Missy wincing in sympathy.

"Your wand movement is too jerky," a voice suddenly said behind her, much closer than she anticipated. She froze as firm hands took careful hold of her wand arm, one hand holding it straight, the other one moving it smoothly in a large circle.

Her heart was beating madly against her chest, she was almost certain everyone in the vicinity could hear it.

"One smooth long motion," Jon Snow's breath was warm against her ear and she was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on anything he was saying.

He finally stepped back, coming to stand at her side instead. "Try again."

Dany took a moment to breathe deeply, willing her hands to stop shaking.  
She raised her wand again, the incantation in her mind, moving her hand in one smooth motion. The ward appeared, more solid around the edges than her previous attempts, but still flimsy.

"Concentrate harder," Jon instructed from next to her, his finger tapping his full lower lip, "you need more force of mind behind this spell, envision it in your mind's eye."

She tried again, and again. With each attempt, her ward became more solid and eventually, it managed to weaken Missy's disarming spell, the wand trembling slightly in Dany's hand. It wasn't perfect but it was something.

"Better," Jon Snow said critically, "but still very far off from what it should be. Keep practicing."

He then walked off without a backward glance. Dany took a deep, calming breath. 

_Oh, this class is going to be so much FUCKING fun,_ she thought, frustrated.

It was Missy's turn to try the shield charm and Dany raised her arm to aim a minor hex at her.  
The class was approaching its end, and nobody was making any more progress than Dany at conjuring the shield. It made her feel (very slightly) better. The bell rang but nobody made a move to leave, everybody glancing at Jon Snow who was now leaning against the wall again, eyeing them all critically.

"You all have a lot more to learn," he said, frowning, "I expect everyone to practice this spell before the next class."

Everybody was standing still, staring at him. He seemed slightly nonplussed as to why they were still there.

"Well, sod off, you lot," he finally said in an exasperated tone, and everybody scrambled to collect their bags and leave the classroom.

"Well, that was... different," said Missy, as they walked away from the classroom, hurrying towards their next lesson.

"If by 'different' you mean, 'it seems like we'll have to work our butts off all year for this class', then yes, 'different' is right," Dany said grumpily. She prided herself on being an excellent student, but she couldn't help but feel she fell short on this one. Like, really REALLY short. Not to mention, she wasn't sure how she will manage to concentrate if Jon Snow was going to stand so close to her on a regular basis. And touch her... Gods. Her arm still tingled from where he placed his hands on it, to guide her wand movement. _Very fucking different indeed._

Missy patted her arm consolingly as they walked down a flight of stairs towards their next class.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  
His first ever lesson as a teacher over, Jon slowly made his way to the teacher's lounge. He was itching for a cigarette, but Davos had threatened to have his head, his wand, and his balls if he ever caught him smoking around the students. Something about 'shaping young minds' and 'leading by example.'  
 _I guess I'm quitting again._

He opened the door to reveal the headmaster sitting in an armchair in front of the fire, reading a large scroll, and Tyrion Lannister who was standing, looking out the window, sipping from a giant mug of coffee.  
Davos looked up from his scroll and frowned at him from behind a pair of round glasses.

"You know lad, we do have a dress code around here," he said in an exasperated tone.

"Aye, well, combat magic is much easier to do when one is not wearing a dress," he retorted, grabbing a mug and tapping it with his wand. It instantly filled to the brim with hot coffee.

"It's not a dress, Jon."

"Same difference."

Davos rolled the scroll closed and whipped the glasses off his nose.

"So, how did your first lesson go?" he inquired, "how are my students progressing?"

Jon sipped at his coffee, "slowly," he muttered.  
Davos rolled his eyes, "let me guess, you started with The Protector's Barrier ward, which I advised against for the first lesson."

"It's a BASIC defence spell."

"Basic for the Night's Watch, not for students beginning their seventh year. You could start with something easier."

"We don't have time for easier."

Davos sighed, "just don't have unrealistic expectations. And be kind to them, please?"

"I'm plenty kind," Jon retorted, rolling his eyes. What did Davos expect, really? He had limited time and they had so much ground to cover. They were seventh years, they should be able to conjure a basic fucking protector's ward.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  
Dany and Missandei slowly made their way towards the great hall for lunch. They found Loras and Margaery already sitting and eating at the Gryffindor table.

"Hey girls," Marg waved her fork at them, "sit down and tell me everything about your first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson with the hottest professor this school has ever seen."

"How do you know he's the hottest the school has ever seen?" asked Missy, sitting down next to Loras and pulling a salad bowl towards her, piling up greens on her plate.

"Surely if there was anyone any hotter it would be a school record or something," Marg reasoned, poking unenthusiastically at her shepherd's pie.  
"So, spill, how did it go? Loras is too busy stuffing his face to tell me."

Loras shrugged, busy shovelling food into his mouth.

"It was harrrrrd," complained Dany, "we started with a Ward and Shield spell he CLAIMS to be basic, but is anything but, we're gonna have to practice so much..."

"You sure are complaining a lot for someone who got to have Hot Professor's hands on them, you know," said Loras who seemed to have finally eaten his fill, smiling at her slyly.

"Whaaaaaat, hang on a second, how did you not open with that?" Marg demanded, swinging her fork in the air, almost stabbing Loras in the eye with it in the process.  
Dany flushed red and busied herself with her food, "he was just correcting my wand movement, it wasn't a big deal," she muttered.

"No big deal, huh," Loras wagged his finger at her, "You're a terrible liar, Dany. Your face looked like a tomato... kind of like it's looking now."

"I hate you, Loras."

"No, you don't."

Dany was teased mercilessly for the better part of the meal.

"Speaking of hot professor Snow," said Marg, "I texted my grandmother last night."

"So, what did she say?" asked Missy eagerly.

"Mostly 'never you mind' when I asked about him," shrugged Margaery, "just that he attended The Winterfell Magic School and is a personal friend of the headmaster. She clammed up after that and told me to mind my own business."

"Fat chance that will happen," mumbled Loras, ducking slightly to avoid Marg swatting his head.

When they've all finished lunch, Dany and Missandei headed to potions and Margaery and Loras to Transfiguration.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  
Dany's mind drifted as she carefully stirred pieces of Briarthorn into her cauldron, attempting to produce a perfect Potion of a Dreamless Sleep on the first try.  
She was somewhat disappointed in herself after what she considered a very poor performance on her first Defence Against the Dark Arts class of the year.

And Jon Snow seemed to be expecting a lot from them.  
Her stupid schoolgirl crush on him notwithstanding, she was determined to impress him. She chucked some pieces of Silverleaf into her potion and resolved to spend as much time as she could practicing her Ward and Shield spell so that come next lesson, she would be prepared.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  
After dinner, Dany made her way out of the great hall alone. Missy went with Grey to hang out with him and his friends at the Hufflepuff common room, but Dany declined, retreating to the library instead. She decided to look for a book about Ward and Shield spells to see if she could find any tips to improve her spellwork. She tried to convince Loras to join her, but he said he'd had enough of Defence Against the Dark Arts for one day.

So Dany made her way to the library on her own.  
After about an hour of consulting dusty volumes, she had to admit defeat. There was not much more information beyond what Professor Snow already told them in class. The books indicated that the only way to master the spell was hours upon hours of practice. _Great._  
Dany gloomily left the library, resolving to put in some practice time the next day.

Margaery greeted Dany and Missy enthusiastically when they made it into the great hall for breakfast the next day, offering tea around.

"You're awfully chipper today," remarked Loras, who trailed behind them, plopping on a chair next to his sister, "even for you, that is."

"I have my first Defence Against the Dark Arts today, with the cute professor Snow," she said happily, "enough to make my morning."

"Yeah, well, prepare to be thoroughly humiliated," grumbled Dany.

"Aw, how about we all practice together sometime," suggested Marg, patting Dany's hand consolingly.

"Deal."

After their morning astronomy class, Dany and Missy stepped into the great hall for lunch to find Marg looking just as chipper as in the morning, chatting excitedly with her friend Jeyne Poole.  
She waved them over to sit with them when she saw them.

"Hello, my lovelies, was your morning just as awesome as mine?" she asked.

"Don't tell me you managed that stupid Ward and Shield spell on the first lesson," moaned Dany, "I think I just might die."

"Oh, Gods no, I was hopeless," giggled Marg.

"Then why the hells are you so happy?"

"Because I spent the morning staring at the lovely physique of Professor Jon Snow," she said dreamily, "you didn't say anything about the tattoo by the way, or that his ass should definitely win an award for special services to the school just for being here..."

Dany and Missy both burst out laughing.

"I honestly don't think I learned a thing today," chirped Jeyne, who was busy staring at her own reflection in the back of a spoon, "how are we expected to concentrate with such a hot professor?"

"Oh come on," Missy rolled her eyes, "you guys are so melodramatic."

Dany chose to stuff her mouth with food over admitting she actually agreed with Jeyne.

That evening, Dany dragged Missy, Marg, and Loras to an unused classroom to practice the Ward and Shield spell. Marg was not incredibly motivated but she agreed to join them after some not-so-gentle prodding from Dany.  
So they practiced. They took turns conjuring the shield and flinging minor curses at each other to test how effective they were.

After two gruelling hours, Dany's shield finally managed to completely ward off Loras' stinging hex. Dany cried out in triumph, flinging her arms up as her friends cheered.

"Well done, girl, now you have something to impress the professor with," Marg winked and yawned, "can we go now? I'm exhausted." Dany agreed, tired herself. They bade each other good night and went to their respective dormitories.

Dany went to bed that night feeling much happier than she did the night before. The next class with Professor Snow was bound to be better than the first one. With that happy thought in mind, she drew the covers around herself and went to sleep.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  
The next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson was, if possible, even worse than the first.

Professor Snow had them arranged in a line, so he could test each student individually on their ability to produce a successful ward.

Each student conjured a ward in turn as Jon cast minor curses at it to try and break it.  
Every single ward failed at the flimsiest hex flung at it.

Poor Loras completely fumbled, his ward disintegrating into thin air even before Jon had the chance to raise his wand. He walked to the side of the class, where the students who were already tested gathered, shaking his head dejectedly.

Missy's ward looked a lot more solid but still splintered easily at a casual disarming spell cast at it, Missy's wand flying out of her hand as Jon Snow caught it without even looking. She went to retrieve it from him, her face glowing crimson.

When it was Dany's turn, she stepped forward, determined to excel.  
She raised her arm and drew as perfect a circle as she could, moving her wand in a long, smooth motion, just as Jon instructed her the previous class. Her ward sprung into existence.

Jon's curse hit her square in the chest, knocking the wind out of her and pushing her back a few steps, causing her to nearly topple on top of Brienne, who was standing right behind her.

Her ward had shattered as soon as the curse hit, providing her with no protection at all. Her face reddened with anger. That was NOT a minor hex.  
Jon Snow regarded her with impassive eyes, clearly not impressed. 

"Please step aside," he said, twirling his wand idly. She strode angrily to the side, coming to stand next to Loras who still had a mortified expression on his face.

After everyone has finished demonstrating their ward-making ability, Jon Snow stepped forward, clearly displeased.

"That was abysmal," he informed the class, glaring around the room, "I expect a lot more from final year students. Split into pairs and practice." 

"Now!" he growled when nobody moved.  
They all scampered around quickly to do as he said.  
When the bell finally rang, Jon Snow mumbled "dismissed," and everyone hastily gathered their things and hurried out of the room.

"I'll follow you in a few," Dany muttered to Missy and Loras, picking up her bag and fixing her resolute stare on Jon Snow who was leaning against the wall, staring out the window. Loras raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing as he followed Missy out of the room.

When the classroom emptied except for Professor Snow and herself, Dany strode over to him.

"May I help you, Miss Targaryen?" he inquired, glancing at her momentarily and then back at the window.

"I was wondering why you tested my ward with an intermediate hex instead of a minor one," she said, as politely as she could, although she was still seething in anger.

"Did you want me to go easy on you? Congratulate you on conjuring a ward that will be of absolutely no use to you in the real world?" he tossed back, quirking his eyebrow up at her.

"Well, no, but..."

"No excuses, Miss Targaryen," he said brusquely, "do better." And he left without a backward glance.

Dany was left standing there, trying to calm her anger through deep, even breaths. Once she had calmed her need to fling heavy objects at the walls, she left the classroom, hurrying after her friends.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  
She caught up to them just as they entered the Charms classroom.

Margaery, who also shared this class with them waved them over to a large table at the back so they could all sit together.  
As they took their seats, Marg glanced questioningly at Dany's still red face and raised an eyebrow.

"Who pissed her off?" she questioned as Dany pulled her Charms textbook out of her bag, slamming it angrily on the table.

"She's pissed that Professor Snow broke her ward," said Loras, "mind you, he broke everyone's wards, but Dany here is taking it personally."

"I am NOT," growled Dany angrily, "he hit me with an intermediate curse, that was completely unfair."

"Aww sweetie," Margaery patted her hand consolingly, "maybe he likes you," she suggested, "I tried to curse the boys I liked all the time in third grade." Dany scoffed.

"And besides," Marg continued dreamily, "I'd let him break any ward he wants if you know what I mean."

"Your puns are horrible, Marg."

"Nonsense, my puns are top-notch."

Professor Lannister entered the classroom and they quieted down, Dany attempting to pull her mind off her infuriating Defence against the Dark Arts professor and on to the tasks at hand.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  
Saturday morning saw Dany jumping out of bed at the crack of dawn. She was determined to master the stupid Ward spell if it was the last thing she ever did. After a futile attempt to get Missy to wake up, she headed to the boys' dormitory to drag Loras out of bed.

"Come on, we need to practice," she said sternly, pulling the blanket away from Loras who groaned and made a grab for it.

"Come off it, it's like, barely morning yet," he whined, burying his head under his pillow.

"Are you even supposed to be in here?" his muffled voice asked.

Dany shrugged, grabbing at said pillow and pulling it off his face, "nothing stopping me. Now don't tell me you want to have another humiliating experience in front of your favourite teacher."

"Go away," moaned Loras.

But Dany was not to be deterred, so he finally consented to get up, muttering something about a cruel and unusual punishment under his breath.

With Loras' help, Missy and Margaery were also pulled unceremoniously from their beds and pushed out of their respective common rooms, grumbling and yawning.

Dany finished her meal of toast, eggs and freshly squeezed orange juice at top speed, and then waited for her friends to finish, tapping her fingers impatiently on the table.

The meal concluded, Dany whisked them all to an unused classroom to practice again.  
It was a slow start, but as the hours wore on, they slowly got better.

"It's noon, can we please go to lunch now?" moaned Marg, massaging her arm, which was cramping after waving it in circles all morning.

"Just another hour and we can take a break," said Dany, not even looking at her as she waved her wand in a steady motion, conjuring the ward again.

Almost two hours later, Dany finally declared the results satisfactory enough to break for lunch.  
After lunch, Dany wanted to go back to practicing immediately, but her friends mutinied, claiming they needed a break.

 _Lightweights,_ thought Dany grimly as she stalked back towards the empty classroom to keep practicing on her own.  
She rounded a corner and saw Daario walking down the hall, right in her direction. _Shit._

"Dany!" he exclaimed happily, raising his arms to give her a hug, which she awkwardly returned, "I've barely seen you this past week."

"Yeah, well, I've been busy," she said, "lots to do." Thankfully, she had no shared classes with Daario this semester so she managed to successfully avoid him for almost the entire week.

"I know, right?" he exclaimed, "that new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is kind of a hardass, huh? I don't think he's following the ministry-outlined lesson plan."  
"Yeah, well, maybe he just wants us to do better," she said, suddenly feeling defensive of Jon Snow. Or maybe she just wanted to disagree with Daario.

"So what are you up to now, wanna come to hang out in my common room?"

"Uhh.. I was just on my way to the library," she lied, "I promised Missy we'll work on that potions essay this afternoon."

"Aww, ok, maybe next time then," he winked, gave her another awkward hug, and walked off.

Dany sighed and rubbed her right shoulder, which was sore from the morning's practice. Perhaps she could use a break.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  
On Monday morning, Jon Snow tested them again on their ward spell. Most students seemed to have been thoroughly traumatized by the previous lesson and the results were much better this time around. Most of the wards managed to repel the minor to moderate curses flung at them.

Dany stepped forward when it was her turn, her mouth pressed into a line. She confidently conjured the shield, which glowed brightly in mid-air. When it successfully repelled the curse Jon aimed at it, he merely gave a short nod to indicate his approval and called for the next student in line.

It's not like she was expecting applause or anything, she thought sullenly, but a 'well done' would be nice. 

_WHATEVER._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions are welcome if anything is unclear.  
> Comments and kudos are appreciated, as always.


	4. Masquerade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again,
> 
> I meant to post this yesterday but it took foreverrr to beta (totally worth the wait, though, it's way better now).
> 
> So this is the halloween chapter (just like a month too late but hey.. I'm hoping to post the Christmas chapter around Christmas so that's something).
> 
> Enjoy!

  


After the entire class had mastered the basic Ward and Shield spell to Professor Snow's satisfaction, he announced that they'll be moving on to Power Barrier next, a strong shield designed to protect an entire area.

He went on to explain that casting the spell would be the easy part ("fat chance", Dany whispered grumpily to Missy) and that the difficulty will arise from keeping it effective for more than a few seconds.

"It's a mentally demanding spell, it will take its toll on you," he warned, "but with practice you will be able to hold it for longer periods of time." 

He then stepped back, drawing his wand. He muttered an incantation and waved his wand in an arc in front of him. A gigantic bell-shaped shield appeared, encasing the students within it.

There were murmurs of appreciation around. Dany touched the edge of the shield tentatively. It felt warm to the touch and was vibrating slightly against her fingers.

On the other side of the barrier, Professor Snow was still holding his wand pointed at the barrier, keeping it up.

"You saw how my wand went? Simple, not much to it. The wider the motion, the broader the shield. Now comes the hard part..."

Dany could tell it was no easy task. Beads of sweat started forming on Jon's face as he fought to keep it up. After a few minutes, he lowered his wand and the shield vanished.

"The larger the shield is, the more difficult it will be to keep it up," he said, "but when mastered, this spell can protect yourselves and others extremely effectively."

He resumed the lesson, going through the correct inflection of the incantation and breaking down the wand movements.

"You will start small. Try to conjure a barrier not more than one meter in diameter. Now find some room for yourselves and start practicing." 

And practice they did.

Dany discovered that Professor Snow was undoubtedly telling the truth when he warned the spell was demanding.

She struggled to keep her tiny barrier up, becoming sweaty and exhausted in a matter of seconds. The rest of the class was having the same difficulties.

Professor Snow was walking around the classroom.

"The larger the shield, the harder it will be to maintain, The stronger the shield, the harder it will be to maintain. The more _distracted_ you are, Mr. Tyrell, the harder it will be to maintain!"

Loras could benefit from learning to be more discreet when gawking at a teacher, Dany thought to herself privately when Loras jumped, face turning bright crimson, and hastily turned back to his spellcasting.

And on it went.

By the end of the lesson, most students were sitting on the floor trying to catch their breath as though they'd just run a marathon.

Exhaustion gave way to relief when professor Snow dismissed the class and sent them on their way, with stern instructions to keep practicing before the next lesson.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


One evening a few days later, Dany, Missy, Marg and Loras found a disused classroom yet again in order to practice the spell.

"Gods, this is draining," groaned Marg, who was drenched in sweat, after an hour of practice.

"And Professor Snow can keep a huge barrier up for like EVER, barely even breaking a sweat," said Dany gloomily.

She was also covered in sweat and her wand arm was killing her.

"Mmm..." Marg smiled slyly, "I wonder what else he can-"

"Don't say it."

"-keep up for long periods of time," Marg finished with a giggle.

Dany rolled her eyes.

They kept at it for another thirty minutes or so until there were all too tired to continue.

Dany collapsed into bed that night and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_A hand, running up her arm, fingertips soft and rough at the same time... the touch of lips on hers, a whisper of a kiss... a scrape of beard against her cheek, making her shudder... her hand skimming over a muscled arm, fingertips touching the Direwolf inked there... and gray eyes turning almost as dark as night, burning into hers..._

Dany woke with a start, drenched in sweat, heart beating frantically. She blinked her eyes in the dark, piecing together the fragments of the dream that were fresh in her mind. 

Was she having _this_ kind of dreams about him now? _Great._ Her body must be confused by associating him with being sweaty and exhausted.

She buried her head in her pillow, instantly falling back asleep.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


All the way across the castle, in another bedroom, Jon Snow woke with a start, sweaty and short of breath.  
He fell back on his pillow with a groan, the dream still fresh in his mind.

_Silvery strands slipping between his fingers, smooth as silk... soft lips, tasting sweet and intoxicating... a delicate hand caressing his arm, fingers tracing over his tattoo... eyes so deeply blue they were almost purple, gleaming like amethysts in the dark, staring deeply into his own..._

"Seven hells," he muttered.

_I really don't need this right now._

He buried his head in his pillow, taking a long time to fall back asleep.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany opened her eyes slowly, the sun's rays on her face, gently coaxing her awake. She felt sure she had a dream last night, but try as she might, she couldn't remember any of it. The memory of it slipped away like water from between her fingers.

She shrugged and pulled herself out of bed to get ready for the day.

Later that day, Dany, Missy and Loras stepped into the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, dreading what they knew was going to be a strenuous lesson.

They practiced the Power Barrier spell again. Jon Snow was moving between them, correcting their wand movements and pronunciation of the incantation.

Dany noticed the first time he passed next to her, he glanced at her and continued on without a word, even though she knew her wand movement was less than perfect.

The second time around, he glanced in her direction, coming to stand a few feet away, hands folded over his chest. His sleeve stretched, bunching upwards, revealing the bottom part of his tattoo.

And Dany suddenly remembered.

_Her fingers skimming over his arm, tracing the contours of the Direwolf on his skin... a press of lips, hot breath, bare chest pressing against her own..._

_Oh._

Dany flushed deep red as the memory of the dream came back to her. Jon Snow was gazing at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

She chanced a glance at him from the corner of her eye. She almost thought he seemed... flustered?

She tightened her grip on her wand, narrowly avoiding dropping it to the floor. Jon Snow continued on without saying a word.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


In the next Defence class, Professor Snow informed them that they would start learning Sensory magic and return to Wards later in the year.

Sensory magic turned out to be the ability to sense magic while it's forming. It was an obscure branch of magic that was only mastered by seasoned wizards, Jon explained, but they should be able to learn the basics enough to make use of it.

He demonstrated it to them, by standing with his back to the class, his eyes closed, and then asked random students to silently cast random hexes at him. 

Every time, just before the hex hit, Jon Snow whipped around, flicking his wand to repel the curse or conjure a shield to absorb it. 

They were all very impressed indeed.

It was one of strangest types of magic Dany had ever encountered. They spent most of the lesson sitting with their eyes closed just... _concentrating._

Jon Snow walked around the room, casting minor spells, and they were supposed to try and predict a spell being cast a fraction of a second before it was actually cast.

After almost thirty minutes of trying to 'sense' the magic, Dany realised what she was actually doing was trying to listen to the swish of Jon's wand. That was clearly not what he intended.

By the end of the lesson, none of them made any progress whatsoever. Jon did not seem surprised. He told them to research the theory of Sensory magic and dismissed the class.

"At least he didn't tell us off for being abysmal and a shame to wizardkind," said Loras as they hurried towards their next class.

"That's probably because he already thinks we're a bunch of fools and not likely to learn anything he's trying to teach us anyway," said Dany glumly.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


"Guess what I heard," whispered Margaery to them during one Charms class at the beginning of October. They were practicing atmospheric spells.

Missy put her arms over her head when the classroom started raining, courtesy of Loras, who was waving his wand carelessly at the ceiling.

Dany flicked her wand and the rain stopped, a rainbow sprouting across the ceiling instead.

"We will not, you'll tell us anyway," said Missy, waving her wand to cause tiny snowflakes to fall from it.

"So true. My friend Jeyne was having Care of Magical Creatures yesterday and she said she saw Jon Snow swimming in the lake."

"In October?" Dany raised her eyebrows, "the water must be nearly freezing by now."

Marg shrugged, "he's from the north, I guess he's used to it," she waved her wand, not really paying attention, causing hale to sprout from it, landing with faint 'pop's on the desk. 

"I'd pay a hundred gold dragons to see Jon Snow dripping wet," she wiggled her eyebrows, "maybe we should hop by the lake later to see if he's around."

"Maybe we shouldn't," muttered Dany, feeling a squirmy feeling in her stomach at the thought of Jon Snow, wet and wearing almost nothing, strong muscles contracting in long smooth movements, his direwolf tattoo rippling... 

_Stop it_ , she chided herself, resolutely raising her wand, causing angry gray clouds to pop into existence all over the ceiling.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


One weekend evening a few days later, Dany dragged her friends to the library to research Sensory magic. They crowded between the tall shelves, searching for books that might come in handy.

After finding some likely candidates, they piled all the books at the center of one large table and sat down to browse through them.

Dany spent almost an hour reading from a book titled "Sensory magic: the seventh sense." 

_For a book with "sense" in the title, it sure doesn't make any,_ she thought grimly. She flipped a page and scanned the dense text.

       
_A wizard wishing to master Sensory magic must strive to reach a deeper state of consciousness. When clearing the mind of all thought, of all interference from the other senses, a clearer awareness of magic surfaces, which enables the wizard to recognize the impending presence of magic shortly before it is cast. The awareness changes according to the spell being cast. For example, the wizard may sense deep trepidation a fraction of a second before a harmful spell is cast._   


The book then explained that achieving a deeper state of consciousness can be done through fasting, meditating or uniting with the elements (which seemed to be code for strolling naked through the woods during a full moon).

Dany slammed the book shut and declared it was time to stop reading and start practicing.

They all agreed to try and meditate since neither of them felt particularly inclined to fast nor to stroll about naked in the woods in the middle of October.

After a delicious dinner, consisting of thick creamy mushroom soup and freshly baked bread, the four of them could be found sitting in silence in a deserted classroom with their eyes closed, trying to clear their minds of interference.

Almost two hours later, Marg startled them all when she moaned in frustration, stretching on the floor on her back.

"We're getting nowhere," she whined, "I don't feel more aware of anything except how sore my arse is from sitting on the floor."

Dany sighed in resignation. Unfortunately, Marg was right. She didn't feel like they were making any progress whatsoever.

Missy and Loras joined Marg on the floor, gingerly stretching their sore muscles.

An idea sparked in Dany's mind.

"I'm going to ask Professor Snow for help," she declared suddenly, getting up resolutely and picking up her wand from where it lay on the floor.

Loras raised an eyebrow, "whatever for? You know he'll just tell you off for being bad and not practicing enough."

"Yeah well, he's a teacher. He should teach," she answered grimly, marching out of the classroom, heading to a narrow staircase towards his office.

As she neared her destination, her bravado faltered. She slowed down as she walked to his door. 

The memory of the dream sprung forth in her mind, making heat rise in her face. Fortunately, she had no more dreams in that vein since then, none she could remember anyhow, but the memory was enough to make her flush.

"Just do it, just knock," she murmured, trying to will herself to calm down.

She raised her hand and hesitantly knocked on the door.

"Come in," she heard his voice from inside the room.

She opened the door and tentatively walked inside.

Jon Snow was sitting in his chair, feet propped up on his desk. He was using his wand to idly draw sigils in mid-air. He frowned at her as if she interrupted him in doing something extremely important.

"Miss Targaryen," he quirked an eyebrow, "what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you could give me some guidance in Sensory magic," she said politely, nervously clutching her wand.

He pulled his feet down from the desk with a small sigh and gestured to a chair, silently inviting her to sit.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Well," she started as she sat down, "I've researched the theory about achieving a deeper state of consciousness, but I can't really figure out an effective way to do it," she sighed, "I've tried meditating but it hasn't worked so far, I feel like I'm doing something wrong."

She hesitated, biting her lower lip, "are there more effective ways to do it?"

"You mean like strolling naked through the woods during the full moon?" he asked mildly, "don't bother, that part is utter nonsense..."

Dany nodded, swallowing, wondering to herself if she ever heard any professor of hers uttering the word 'naked' in her presence. She couldn't remember any such occurrence.

Jon leaned forward slightly in his chair, finger tapping his lower lip.

"Some kinds of magic are hard to teach," he said suddenly, "sometimes... you can either do it or you can't."

Dany was crestfallen. Was he telling her she was doomed never to master this kind of magic? That there was nothing more she could do?

Jon glanced at her face and sighed, "I can try to guide you, though."

He pulled out his wand, "close your eyes," he asked.  
She did.

"Try to attune to your other senses. Recognize what you can hear, smell, feel."

Dany sat quietly, concentrating. She could hear Jon's slow steady breaths next to her and the soft chirp of birds from outside the window, smell a faint fresh scent that somehow made her think of snow-capped mountains and dense forests, feel the chair at her back, the floor at her feet, the softness of fabric on her skin.

"Now, one by one, block them."

She swallowed hard and tried to do just that. Slowly, everything vanished in her mind. Everything was suddenly calm and quiet, quieter than it had ever been.

Then a new feeling intruded, tugging on her mind. She gasped softly and her eyes flew open to see Jon Snow leaning forward, a blue flame held in his open palm.

He closed his palm and the little fireball vanished.

"Good," he said.

She nodded slowly in wonder. She actually did it, she felt elated.

"Thank you," she murmured.

He bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement.

"With practice and experience it will become second nature," he said, "you won't have to consciously look for it. You will just sense it."

His eyes were studying her intently. After a moment in which they just stared at each other, he cleared his throat slightly and leaned back in his chair.

"Will that be all?"

Dany took it as her cue to leave.

"Uh- yes, thanks, Professor," she muttered, standing up and hastily making her way out of there.

She closed the door behind her and took a moment to lean against the wall outside his office. She leaned her head back, taking a deep breath. Her hands were shaking slightly. 

_Why why WHY does he have such an effect on me?_

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


During dinner, an evening a few days before the end of October, headmaster Seaworth reminded everyone of the upcoming Halloween Masquerade, which was to take place on the 31st. He encouraged everyone to show up in costumes.

"Ooh, this is going to be so much fun," said Marg happily, addressing Dany and Missy who were sitting across from her.

"Got a costume idea yet?" asked Missy, idly waving her wand, causing small heart figures to pop up in mid-air.

"Hmm, not sure yet," Marg said, tapping her lip thoughtfully, "I'll have to come up with something sexy," she leaned in conspiratorially, "there's a cute Hufflepuff boy I have my eye on and I'm going to make sure he notices me on that Masquerade." 

"Who is it?"

"Not telling. You'll know when you see me with my hands all over him during the ball."

Dany and Missy giggled at their friend's unwavering confidence.

_That boy doesn't stand a chance._

"I think I might have a joint costume with Grey," said Missy, "I have an idea." She refused to share more details, claiming it was going to be a surprise.

"What about you, Dany?"

Dany had an idea, still forming in her mind. She wanted to go as something resembling a dragon. She had an idea, but she knew it would require some advanced and complicated spellwork.

"I'm sure you can work it out, honey," said Marg warmly as Missy nodded in agreement, "you're the most determined person I've ever met."

The morning of the masquerade, Dany woke up early and, after a quick breakfast, hurried to the library.  
Since it was a holiday, they had no classes and she planned to take advantage of the opportunity and research possible spells to use for her costume.

She pulled some heavy volumes off the large shelves and sat down by one of the long tables. After about an hour, she decided on what she needed.

Picking up one of the books, she checked it out, tucked it into her bag and headed out of the library, intending to practice.

She passed by the great hall on her way and was hailed by Missy, Marg and Loras who were sitting at the breakfast table, just about to start their meal.

"Where were you off to so early?" asked Missy, generously spreading almond butter on her toast.

"Research for my costume," answered Dany, snagging a piece of toast and munching on it.

"Did you find anything?" inquired Loras, who was on his second cup of coffee.

"Yep, I'm gonna try a Gossamer charm for the dragon wings."

"Ooh, fancy," said Marg appreciatively, "attempted anything like it before?"

"Not even close."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany spent about an hour in her dormitory, the library book open on her bed as she tried to perform the charm. She was having no success whatsoever and eventually resolved to try and find Professor Lannister, the charms teacher, to see if he could give her some pointers.

"Want some company?" asked Missy absentmindedly. She was flicking her wand at the dress she was planning to wear to the masquerade, trying to decide which color will suit her costume best.

"Nah, I'm good, you seem busy, anyway," Dany bounded out of the room and sped off towards Tyrion Lannister's office. As she entered the corridor, she saw his door was ajar, which probably meant he was there.

She hurried towards it but slowed down when she heard two voices coming from inside the office. She paused just a few paces from the open door, listening.

"-going home for Christmas vacation this year?" her heart skipped a beat when she realized it was Jon Snow's voice.

"Hells no," answered Tyrion Lannister's voice, "I would rather dance naked on top of The Wall than spend the holidays with my bitch of a sister."

"That I have to see. Actually, scratch that, I never want to see that for as long as I live."

She heard Tyrion chuckle. They were speaking as if they were old friends. Maybe they were, she barely knew anything about either of them, after all.

"What about you, Snow? Going back to Winterfell for the holidays?"

"Arya asked me to come, but I need to discuss recent developments with Davos. Christmas vacation would give us plenty of time to make plans going forward."

 _Arya._ Who was Arya? Dany couldn't suppress a wave of jealousy from coursing through her. Did he have a girlfriend back north? A wife? She was fairly sure he wasn't married, she would have noticed a wedding band.

There was silence for a few seconds until Tyrion sighed, "yes, I suppose we'll have to discuss things during the holiday. There goes my plan of spending it stupid drunk."

"I'm sure you'll find an opportunity to do that as well."

"I'll drink to that. At least the Christmas feast is always excellent. And there will be plenty of booze. Although our dear headmaster has expressly forbidden me from getting drunk in front of the students, something about-"

"-shaping young minds? Yeah, I heard that lecture as well."

Dany was starting to feel guilty for eavesdropping. She decided to make herself known before they found her out themselves.

She strode resolutely towards the door and knocked gently.

"Come in," said Tyrion's voice.

She pushed the door open to find Tyrion reclining in an armchair, holding a wine goblet, and Jon leaning against the window, dressed in his customary black.

"Miss Targaryen. You know it's a holiday today, don't you?" said Tyrion mildly, sipping his wine.

"Yes, professor, I apologize. I wanted to ask for your help with a charm I'm working on, but I can come back later" said Dany sheepishly.

"No no, anything for an eager student. Come in and have a seat," Tyrion pointed to the narrow chair opposite his.

"I'll be off then," said Jon, giving an almost imperceptible nod to her to acknowledge her presence.

Tyrion raised his glass to him as he stalked off, shutting the door behind him.

"Don't mind him, he was born brooding," said Tyrion, "so, what can I do for you, dear?"

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany spent the rest of the afternoon perfecting her Gossamer charm, following the Charms' professor's instructions to the letter.

After three hours of intensive spell-casting, she was finally pleased with the result. 

She managed to conjure two spectral wings, with razor-sharp talons at the tips and realistic webbing. 

They were a shimmering crimson color and were hovering a little over her shoulders, giving the illusion they were sprouting out of her back.

Dany thought they looked magnificent.

"That's amazing, Dany," said Missy enthusiastically, "too bad there's no costume contest, you would've won first place for sure..."

Missy was going as a vampire, complete with long sharp fangs (courtesy of a potion brewed by Grey, she had to keep drinking it every hour to maintain the effect) and a smear of blood, dripping down her lips.

"I like yours too, very realistic," smiled Dany, "is Grey going as a vampire too, then?"

"Oh you'll see," smiled Missy.

Missy then helped Dany braid her hair in a dragon tail braid. It was one long lumpy braid in the middle of her head, starting at her forehead and going all the way down her back, imitating the look of dragon scales.

Dany's phone chimed and she glanced at it. It was a text from Margaery.

**Are you guys coming or what??? The feast is about to begin.**

Dany texted her a hasty _'we'll be there in a few'_ and went back to getting ready.

She slipped into her dress next. It was skin-tight and dark red, embroidered with black dragons on the edges. _Targaryen colors._

She was gifted this dress by her parents when she came of age. It made her both happy and sad to be wearing it.  
She could still remember Rhaegar's warm voice calling her his little dragon... she wiped the moisture forming in her eyes.

_No. I'm not going down memory lane tonight._

She applied her makeup next, complete with a delicate pattern of scales in the corners of her eyes. A black eyeliner, red lipstick and voilà. She looked at herself critically in the mirror, examining herself from all angles. "Not a bad job if I do say so myself."

"You look amazing, Dany," said Missy, hugging her shoulders briefly, "now let's get going or Marg will hunt us down and kill us for being late."

They met Grey at the bottom of the staircase leading to the Gryffindor tower. 

He was dressed in a black suit, his face was dusted with something that made him look pale as death and his neck had pretty realistic fang marks on it, dripping with blood.

Missy walked to wrap her arms around him from behind, pretending to drink the blood from his neck.

Dany giggled, "that's a pretty awesome costume, you guys."

"Thanks," Missy beamed, giving Grey a kiss.  
Grey offered her his arm they all walked together towards the great hall.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


They entered the great hall, looking around in awe at the lavish decorations.

Giant carved pumpkins hovered in mid-air. They glowed with an eerie ghostly light and cackled occasionally.

Spiderwebs stretched across the walls, crawling with what seemed to be real live spiders, bats were swooping around the ceiling and all the torches were burning bright orange.

The tables they were to dine on had an impressive array of candles shaped like skulls and miniature versions of the cackling pumpkins.

There was eerie organ music playing in the background, seemingly coming straight out of the walls.

"Wow," exclaimed Missy happily, "the headmaster really pulled all the stops this year."

"Girls!" they heard Margaery's voice and turned to see her waving at them to join her.

They went over to her table, which was also occupied by Loras and Renly.

Then they noticed a nervous-looking fair-haired guy sitting next to Marg.

"You guys know Dickon Tarly, don't you?" Marg said with a smile, her hand skimming his arm.

"Sure, yeah," Missy smiled at him, "you're in the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, aren't you?"

He nodded nervously as they all sat down together.

He seemed very taken with Marg, Dany observed, catching him glancing once in a while in her direction, an expression of awe on his face, as though he couldn't believe he could get someone so stunning to be his date.

Marg claimed she was dressed as the Wicked Witch from the old children's tale The Wizard of Oz. Dany personally thought that the only wicked thing about Marg's outfit was the scandalous cut of her dress.

Time seemed to fly by as they all ate, talked and laughed together.

After the meal was done, Marg insisted everybody get on the dancefloor.

A few fast songs later, a slower, mournful tune started playing.

Missy and Grey were dancing close together, Missy laying her head on Grey's chest. 

Marg pulled Dickon closer so suddenly that he almost lost his footing and face-planted into her chest.

Loras and Renly were also huddled on the dance floor, swaying gently to the music.

Dany sighed as she surveyed all the couples around her. She was truly happy for her friends, but moments like this made her feel achingly lonely and out of place.

Dany decided to step out of the castle for a short while, for some fresh air and to get away from all the couples.

She walked slowly to the hedges surrounding the castle, coming to sit on of the benches overlooking the lake. She breathed in the cold late-October air.

"Shouldn't you be inside?" she jumped, startled, to find Jon Snow standing by the hedge, his hands in his pockets.

"Uh- I just had to get some air," she mumbled awkwardly, "it's like Noah's Ark in there," she muttered under her breath. She did not intend for him to hear that part, but apparently, he did anyway.

He smiled faintly and sat down on the same bench as her, leaning back, eyes on the lake.

She kept her eyes on the lake as well, unsure of what to say, but it was he who broke the silence.

"Nice costume," he remarked, glancing at her dragon wings, "a Gossamer charm?"

"Yep," she grinned, pleased at the compliment, "took me all afternoon, but I think it turned out pretty neat."

She turned to look at him, sitting there in a black shirt and black jeans, his usual.

"Aren't you supposed to be in costume?" she inquired. He obviously hadn't bothered.

"Oh, I am," he said, placing his hand on his heart in mock sincerity, "I'm all about masquerades."

Dany snorted, "oh yeah? What are you, then?"

Jon paused for a moment, thinking.

"A werewolf," he finally said.

Dany rolled her eyes, "let me guess... you're a werewolf in human form since tonight is not a full moon?"  
She shook her head, "that's the laziest costume I've ever seen."

"Not exactly," Jon turned in his seat slightly to face her and smiled.

She was a bit taken aback by his uncharacteristically wide smile ( _Have I EVER seen him really smile before?_ ), when she suddenly noticed his canines were longer than normal and that his eyes had a red tint to them.

She just stared for a second, lips parting in surprise, trying to work out how he did it. 

Human transformations, even partial ones, required more complicated spellwork than what could be performed in a space of ten seconds. She was pretty sure these canines weren't there before, she would have noticed. And he wasn't even holding a wand! 

But then again, she had seen first-hand what a powerful wizard he is, so that must have been quite an advanced sort of magic.

"Ok, that is impressive," she conceded, smiling back at him.

It was strange, how natural it felt with him. She had no idea how talking to him came so easily. She barely knew him after all, and his demeanor didn't exactly scream approachable...

But she couldn't deny there was something there, something pulling her to him like a magnet. It was confusing and exhilarating all at once.

A cold wind blew from the lake and Dany shivered, rubbing her hands over her arms.

"You cold?" Jon inquired.

Without waiting for a response, he leaned towards her, opened his palm and hovered it over her shoulders, moving it in a slow steady gesture.

Before she had a chance to wonder what he was doing, a soft black jacket materialized around her, wrapped loosely around her shoulders.

"Thank you, I-" she suddenly realized, "Hey, how did you do that?"

"Magic. I am a wizard, you know," he said in a mock-serious tone.

"Yes, obviously, but... where's your wand?"

He was back to staring at the lake.

"Have you never performed magic without a wand?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, sure I have, but that was mostly when I was really young, before I could control it," she shrugged, "and once in a while when I get really angry it just bursts out. But never intentionally."

"The wand is but a tool," he said slowly, "it helps you focus and direct your magic, but it doesn't create it," he paused, turning to look at her again, "your magic comes from here," he pointed at her heart.

His hand was hovering in the vicinity of her breasts and her heart lurched. His eyes darkened and he suddenly leaned back.

"Yes, I-I know the theory," she stammered, trying to control her heartbeat, which quickened at his proximity.

"Can you do all magic without a wand?" She asked, wondering whether he used a wand during class just to avoid making people uncomfortable.

Jon shook his head, "Far from it, it's a very difficult skill to master," he smiled faintly, "but I can summon a jacket on a cold night, at least."

"Thanks," she mumbled again, pulling the jacket tighter around herself.

The wind picked up slightly, Jon cleared his throat and got to his feet.

"It's getting colder," he said over his shoulder, not looking at her, "you should go back inside."

Then he walked in the direction of the castle, disappearing into a side-entrance, leaving Dany sitting there, clutching the jacket to her chest.

She eventually went back inside to find Marg making out with Dickon, and Missy and Grey still dancing. Loras was nowhere to be found.

She was reluctant to interrupt Marg so instead she tapped gently on Missy's shoulder and told her she was going back to the dormitory.

Back in her room, Dany unbraided and combed her hair out, changed to her PJs and crawled into bed with a book about the Dragonriders of old. 

The room was chilly so she pulled the black jacket Jon had conjured around herself to keep her warm while reading.

It wasn't until she took it off again to go to sleep that she noticed the initials sewn inside. She touched them lightly with a suddenly trembling finger.

'JS.'

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who haven't noticed, I'm aiming for weekly updates of this story. I already have the drafts for the next few chapters, but I tend to go back and revise things a lot, so it's taking a while to get things ready.
> 
> Comments / kudos / questions appreciated etc


	5. Earth, Fire and Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand here we go again.
> 
> Enjoy!

November greeted the castle with icy cold winds, unusually cold for the season. They rattled the windows and made everyone reluctant to set foot outside the castle if they could help it.

Almost two weeks into November, Professor Snow informed the class that they were going to start learning battle magic, which most of the students were very excited about.

So one bright and cold Monday morning, he led them out of the castle and into a large clearing near the lake. Hovering in mid-air between two gnarled trees was a giant spectral shield, ten meters across, its faint shimmer the same blue as the runic symbols inscribed on the ground surrounding it.

"This is a physical barrier I erected for you to practice battle-magic on," Jon Snow said, gesturing to the shield with his wand, "for your and everyone else's safety, please aim your spells ONLY towards the shield. We don't want to set anything on fire."

"And be very careful not to stand in the way of a battle spell," he added as an afterthought, "you could seriously injure yourselves."

Jon raised his wand, drew a shiny thin line on the ground and told them they must never stand between the line and the shield while the lesson was in progress.

"Stand back," he instructed, facing the shield and raising his wand.

"We will start with Flaming Arrows. Pay close attention."

With swift, precise movements, he drew a shiny sigil in mid-air. He then drew his arm back and flicked his wrist as though cracking a whip. The sigil glowed bright purple and from its center erupted three fiery arrows. They zoomed directly towards the shield at impossible speed and exploded into a giant fireball upon contact. 

Most students ducked instinctively as the fireball erupted. Dany could feel the heat of the fire on her face, even from afar.

"Wow," whispered Loras, "this is so cool." Dany nodded fervently in agreement. Most of the students obviously agreed as there were excited murmurs all around them.

Jon was now facing them again, demonstrating more slowly how to draw the sigil.

Everybody was itching to try the spell. So when Jon instructed them to stand evenly spaced facing the shield, everybody scrambled for a spot.

Dany stood at the very end of the row, her face frowned in concentration, drawing the sigil in mid-air. It took about twenty minutes to get it to even slightly resemble the one Jon drew. 

Every time she got it wrong, the sigil flickered and died within a second of being complete. It was difficult work.

Beside her, her classmates were not having much more luck either.

Almost an hour into the lesson, Dany shook her aching hand and raised her wand again. She drew the sigil carefully, trying to be as precise as possible. Pattern complete, the sigil stayed flickering in mid-air. Dany's hand shook slightly as she flicked her wrist in the same whipcrack motion Jon had shown them, aiming it at the very center of the sigil.

Three spectral arrows burst out of the sigil, speeding towards the shield. They collided with the shield with faint popping sounds.

Everybody was gaping at her, and Missy and Loras cheered excitedly. Dany drew in a shaky excited breath, her eyes searching for Jon.

He was standing a little way away, watching her with a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"Damn, girl," whispered Missy next to her, "I think he's actually impressed."

Dany returned his gaze, swallowing hard, her hands damp with sweat.

He slowly strode closer and came to stand right behind her.

"Do it again," he murmured, close enough so his breath tickled her ear, making her shiver.

Dany drew a deep breath, and raised her wand again, trying to steady her hand, which was shaking slightly.

She suddenly felt Jon's hand lightly touching her wrist.

"Relax," he said softly, "firm hold, but don't clutch the wand too hard."

_Fat chance I can relax when you have a hand on me._

She forced herself to calm down enough to relax her deathgrip on the wand. She repeated the spell, the spectral arrows erupting from the sigil again.

"Step aside, please," Jon Snow told Missy, taking her empty spot next to Dany.

The rest of the students stopped practicing to watch.  
"Again, with me," he instructed Dany, drawing his own wand.

They drew sigils in the air simultaneously, Dany glancing at him from the corner of her eye, trying to imitate his exact movements. Sigils complete, they both flicked their wrists in unison. 

This time, Dany's arrows had flaming tips. Her and Jon's arrows flew towards the shield, Jon's erupting into a huge fireball. Dany's arrows erupted in a tiny flame that dissipated into dense gray smoke.

Several students cheered while others stared at her with an expression akin to envy.

Jon Snow turned, studying her with a glint in his eye. He leaned towards her slightly, his lips next to her ear.  
"Well done," he murmured and strode away.

Dany stood there, knees shaking, blushing deep pink. If she was not mistaken, she had just managed to impress the unimpressable Professor Jon Snow.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Later that evening, during dinner, Missy and Loras described their first battle magic lesson to Margaery in great detail.

"Dany was amazing," said Missy fondly, "she's the only one who managed the spell."

"I didn't manage the spell, Missy," mumbled Dany, "it didn't look anything like the real thing."

"Well, it was way more than what the rest of us accomplished," said Missy, smiling at her.

"You should have seen Jon Snow's face when Dany conjured those arrows," Loras piped in, "he looked like he could kiss her."

"He did NOT," exclaimed Dany, face flushing a deep red.

"Did too."

"He was standing so close to her, holding her hand, whispering in her ear..."

"Missy!"

"... telling her what a great witch she is, no doubt, and that she should have his babies..."

Dany groaned at her friends' teasing while they openly laughed at her.

"Sounds like you did great today, honey," cooed Marg at her, "you should be proud."

"Thank you, Marg," Dany smiled. She did feel rather proud of herself.

"And maybe go to Jon's office to get some more... _private_ tutoring," she continued, giving her a sly wink, "I'm sure he can put his hands all over you and show you exactly where he wants yours..."

"Sometimes I really hate you, guys," Dany whined, pushing away her plate.

"You know we love you," Marg blew her a kiss and laughed when Dany flipped her off.

"I'm gonna go for a walk," Dany mumbled, picking up her bag and hurrying out of the great hall.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


She didn't have a specific destination in mind, but she found herself walking towards the area where they had their Defence class earlier that day.

The shield was still there, glimmering in the semi-darkness of the evening. She halfway considered practicing the flaming arrows spell some more when a splashing sound coming from the lake drew her attention.

She approached the lake, staring around curiously for the source of the noise. That was when she saw a lone figure stepping out of the water. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw it was Jon Snow in all his wet and almost-naked glory.

His body was clad in only black swimming trunks and was dripping with water.

He stepped out of the lake, shaking the water out of his hair and bending to pick up his wand which was resting on a rock.

She knew she should go. Get the hells away before he saw her ogling him. But apparently her feet had a mind of their own because they refused to move. 

She stared at him as he made steam come out of his wand to dry himself off. His body was near flawless, just as she had imagined (and she was loath to admit to herself she had imagined it more times than she could count). 

He was all strong muscles and pale skin. It was difficult to be sure in the semi-darkness of the evening, but she was nearly positive she saw the dark shadow of a scar across his chest, over his heart.

She wondered how he got it, but she was reasonably sure it was bad form to ask people about body parts they didn't intend to show her.

"Enjoying the show?" he asked drily, nearly making her jump out of her skin.

"Uh... I'm..." she stammered, having no idea what she was going to say, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spy on you."

He said nothing for a moment, while he finished drying himself off. He then pulled on a t-shirt, black pants, and boots.

Dany was still standing there, mentally screaming at herself to leave before she embarrassed herself further.  
Before she had a chance to do that, he sauntered over to her, fully dressed.

"So how long have you been standing there?" he asked conversationally as they started walking slowly back towards the castle.

"Just a moment, I swear," mumbled Dany, her face flaming.  
"I'm not stalking you or anything," she continued, anxious to explain herself, "I was going to practice by the shield when I heard splashing from the lake."

He made a soft noise at the back of this throat.

It felt strange to walk by his side like this, as if he wasn't her teacher, as if they were equals. But at the same time, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

"Practice, huh," he drawled, "you are quite the dedicated student, Daenerys."

She suppressed a shiver when he said her name, his Northern timbre making it sound so much more alluring than it ever has.

"Well, you're tough to impress," she muttered under her breath.

He chuckled and she marveled at this new, beautiful sound. It was the first time she had heard it from him.

"You impressed me today," he eventually said, "not many do."

She was silent, her mind was still having trouble believing she was walking side-by-side with Jon Snow and that he just admitted he was impressed by her. _What the hells is happening?_

It was pitch-dark now, the castle loomed ahead, its windows glittering like gemstones in the dark. She stared straight ahead, at a loss of what to say, when her foot caught in a bramble on the ground and she lost her footing.

Strong arms immediately wrapped around her waist, saving her from plummeting face-first into the ground. Jon pulled her up gently, steadying her on her feet, and for a moment she almost thought his arms lingered, just a fraction of a second too long than what was strictly necessary.

She found herself standing face-to-face, chest-to-chest with him, staring into dark gray eyes. She saw a glimmer of... _something_ in his eyes, but it was gone so quickly, she was almost certain she imagined it.

"You keep stumbling," he murmured, voice huskier than she remembered.

"Only when you're around," she whispered without thinking. She winced a split-second later, realizing what she just said.

 _Did I just flirt with him?_ she thought dazedly, her cheeks burning, as he carefully stepped back from her, arms dropping to his sides, leaving her suddenly feeling cold and alone.

They walked the rest of the way in silence.

They were mere meters away from the castle now, a few more steps and they'd be inside.

"Um- Professor," Dany cleared her throat nervously, unsure how to phrase it, "I still have your jacket, I meant to return it to you, I-"

"Keep it," he interrupted, lips quirked up in a ghost of a smile. He glanced at her and quickly looked away again, fixing his gaze back on the castle straight ahead.

Her heart gave a thud.

Moments later, when they reached the castle, she mumbled a hasty good night to him and hurried off towards the Gryffindor tower.

She passed through the common room and hurriedly climbed up the stairs to her room. 

She went inside to find Missandei sitting cross-legged on her bed, reading a book in High Valyrian.

"Hi girl, where did you disappear to?" asked Missy, idly flipping a page in the book.

Dany climbed into her bed and buried her head in the pillow.

Missy put the book down, frowning, and came to sit next to her.

"Everything ok?"

Dany sat up, took a deep breath, and told Missy everything that transpired since she left dinner that evening, leaving out the part about the jacket.

Missy listened, mouth agape until she finished her story.

She sat there in stunned silence for a moment.

"Daenerys Stormborn," she finally said, "did you just _flirt with Professor Jon Snow???_ "

"I... don't know?" Dany buried her head in her pillow again, "oh, Gods..."

Missy dropped down next to her, stretching out on her back and giggled.

"Dany flirting with a teacher... who knew."

"Missyyyy!"

"So," she flipped to her stomach and pulled Dany's arm from where it was hiding her face, "describe to me again, in detail, how he looked stepping out of the lake."

Dany giggled despite herself, feeling her heart beating faster at the memory of a nearly-naked Jon Snow, skin wet and glistening.

"He looked..." she tried to think of a good way to describe him. _Delicious? Mesmerizing? Drop-dead gorgeous?_

"... like a walking, talking, sex-on-a-stick?" Missy finished, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Now you sound like Marg."

Missy just giggled in response.

"Speaking of which... can you please not mention it to Marg, or anyone else? She will never shut up about it."

Missy mimed locking her lips and throwing away the key, "my lips are sealed."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_What the fuck are you doing, Jon?_

He'd mentally asked himself that at least ten times in the past hour.

He had no business getting close to a student like that.

What did he even see in her? Except for the fact that she was smart, determined and talented. And gorgeous, _Gods_. Quite possibly the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, if he was honest with himself.

She had that Targaryen fire in her eyes, that burning passion, throwing every bit of herself into mastering a spell. Her ancestors must have looked no different when riding their dragons.

The soft feel of her skin under his fingers, the way she _looked_ at him. That awe in her eyes that made his thoughts scatter and go down a dangerous path.

And, although he hated to admit it to himself, he knew he had felt drawn to her right from the start. 

Ever since their first encounter just outside the great hall during the welcoming feast. It was absolutely wrong, but he knew it to be true.

He groaned.

He had to stop this madness. He had a job to do here, and when he was done, he'd go back to The Wall and never see her again.

For some reason, that thought caused an ache to form in his chest.

_This was not supposed to happen._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


One bright Wednesday morning found Dany, Missy and Loras in the library, working on a potions essay. 

Marg was supposed to be working with them but was sitting a few tables over instead, chatting with her friend Jeyne.

"I'm not sure this is correct," Loras riffled through his copy of 'Advanced Potion-Making' with a frown on his face, "why are there copious amounts of Peacebloom in Potion of Razor Focus? Isn't Peacebloom supposed to have a calming effect?"

"Until you use too much and then it has the opposite effect," explained Dany, pulling another textbook towards her and pointing out a paragraph to him.

Loras groaned and banged his forehead on the table, "this is so confusing. Why didn't Grey join us, again?" he questioned Missy, "he always makes potions make sense somehow."

"He really does, doesn't he?" said Missy fondly, "but he's off playing a friendly Quidditch game with some friends this morning."

At that precise moment, Margaery came rushing to their table, excitedly slamming a book on the table.

Dany glanced at it, it was The Animagus Registry, before focusing back on her essay.

"What does this book have to do with our potions essay?" she inquired, pulling another potions book towards her to research the effects of Bruiseweed in healing potions.

"Nothing whatsoever," beamed Marg, "I have something a lot more interesting to discuss."

"What could possibly be so fascinating about The Animagus Registry?"

"Well, Jeyne had to do research for Transfiguration, so she had to look something up in The Registry aaaaand... guess whose name she found on it?" Marg continued on, without waiting for a response, "none other than everyone's favorite professor, Jon Snow."

That made Dany stop reading as her head snapped up in surprise.

"Really?" asked Missandei excitedly, "what kind of animal can he transform into?"

"He can, in fact, transform into a great white-"

"- wolf," Dany finished, comprehension suddenly dawning on her.

Marg stopped to gaze at her, open-mouthed, "A direwolf, actually. How did you know that?"

"He- he showed me, on the night of the Halloween masquerade, I didn't realize it at the time, but-"

"Whoa, he SHOWED you?" asked Marg, gaping at her, "why is this the first I'm hearing about this?"

"Spill, girl," demanded Missy, as they all huddled close to her in anticipation.

Dany sighed. 

"Well, I asked him why he wasn't in costume and he said he came as a werewolf. And suddenly his teeth were longer and eyes were red," Dany shook her head at the memory, "I thought it was just a clever charm at the time, an illusion, but now I realise that he..."

"- partially transformed," finished Missy.

"So, where was that? When was that? Why didn't you tell us this before?" demanded Marg, but she sounded more excited than angry.

"It was just outside the castle during the masquerade," Dany mumbled, "I guess I just forgot about it until now."

_Nope, that isn't why._

"So Jon Snow can transform into a direwolf, that's so fucking hot," sighed Loras.

 _It really was_ , Dany thought to herself, suppressing a shiver.

"What? He's a WEREWOLF?" came a small voice behind them. They all turned to see a tiny first year, who Dany was pretty sure was named Ned Umber.

"No, he's not a werewolf, he's an Animagus," corrected Missy, "you know the difference, right?"

"He's a first-year, he doesn't know anything," muttered Loras.

The boy just gaped at her. Missy sighed and turned to him, "A werewolf is cursed. Wizards carrying the curse are forced to transform every full moon. And they have little to no control over themselves when in wolf form. They can be very dangerous when not under the influence of a Wolfsbane potion," she carried on, sounding like she was teaching a class, "an Animagus can transform into their animal form at will, and they retain their human mind when they do. So they generally are no more dangerous than in their human form," she finished.

"So..." said Ned uncertainly, "he won't bite us?"

Marg scoffed, "I should be so lucky," she muttered under her breath.

Loras rolled his eyes, "you're perfectly safe, don't worry," he said to Ned.

"Ned, come _on_ , we'll be late for class," came the voice of Lyanna Mormont from the library exit.

Ned scurried off the join his friends, still looking somewhat terrified.

Marg shook her head "first-years... I'm pretty sure we've never been this clueless."

Missy pulled The Registry towards her and riffled through it, giving a cry of triumph when she found Jon's name. 

There was a drawing too. They all leaned in closer to take a look.

It showed a great white direwolf with gleaming red eyes.

"Damn," Marg sighed dreamily, "wish I could see him transform too," she fixed Dany with a glare, "you're lucky I love you, or I'd strangle you for not mentioning it before."

Dany laughed and promised to immediately provide Marg with every bit of gossip she came across in the future.

They slowly went back to their potions essay, although Marg was now thoroughly distracted and no help at all.

"You know," she mused, twirling her wand around with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "I bet he's a wolf in bed too."

_"Marg!"_

"Maybe you'll tell us someday, Dany."

"Marg, SHUT UP!"

Marg finally quieted down when the librarian gave them a warning glare, although still doubling-over in silent laughter at the enraged expression on Dany's red face.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Enter."

He slid the door to the headmaster's office open and stepped inside.

The room was already occupied by Headmaster Seaworth, Tyrion Lannister, the charms teacher, Yara Greyjoy, who taught Transfiguration and Oberyn Martell, the potions master.

"Have a seat lad, we've been waiting for you."

Jon took his seat at Davos' right-hand side.

"So, what news from our friends at the ministry?" asked Tyrion.

"More disappearances," said Davos with a frown.

"Who?"

Davos flicked his wand and an image materialized in mid-air in front of them.

"Petyr Baelish, 43, an employee of the Iron Bank, vanished without a trace after departing from his workplace. Nobody had seen hair nor hide of him in a fortnight."

He gave his wand another flick and the image changed.

"Roose Bolton, 47, a former employee of the Ministry of Magic, was last seen leaving his home at the Dreadfort. That was five nights ago."

"Bolton," said Yara Greyjoy with a frown, "Is he not the father of a student here in The Academy?"

"Aye, he is," said the headmaster, "Hasn't ever spoken a word to the boy though, he walked out on his wife shortly after she gave birth."

Yara muttered something that sounded like 'well that explains a lot' under her breath.

"Do we suspect foul play?" asked Oberyn, absentmindedly fiddling with his wand.

"Not sure at this point," said Davos with a sigh, "there is little evidence to point us in either direction," he squinted at Jon, "any input, lad?"

Jon was silent for a moment.

"We cannot rule out any possibility," he said eventually, "but I'm willing to wager these men were not taken by force."

He rose from his chair, walking towards the window to stare into the night, "Bran foresaw this," he murmured, "he said, followers will rally as his power grows..." 

He turned his gaze back to the people in the room. There were somber looks all around, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

"So what is our next move?" asked Tyrion eventually.

"We prepare for winter."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


The remainder of the month's Defence lessons was all devoted to offensive battle magic.

They kept practicing by the big barrier outside the castle, while the weather became progressively harsher.

Jon Snow was not to be deterred, even when cold rain hit and freezing winds howled around them. He insisted that they should be able to perform in any and all weather conditions. 

So, wet and shivering, they all dutifully raised their wands, again and again, uttering incantations and performing complicated gestures.

Jon was standing off to the side, observing, occasionally striding to one student or another, correcting their movements and pronunciation. He seemed completely unbothered by the torrential rain.

"I s-swear he's not hu-human," said Missy, teeth chattering, pushing her sopping wet hair out of her eyes.

Dany and Loras just nodded in agreement, too cold and shivery to answer.

"Why are we even learning offensive battle-magic?" muttered Loras, shivering violently in the cold, "not like we're all planning to become Aurors."

"This is Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts, Mr. Tyrell," said Jon Snow's voice from somewhere to their left, speaking loudly over the rain, "and sometimes the best defence is a good offence."

Everyone was relieved when Jon decided to conclude the lesson earlier than usual. The winds had picked up such speed that Dany was reasonably afraid of being blown off and landing on a roof somewhere.

They all scurried away as fast as possible, bowing their heads against the rain and wind.

Dany, Missy and Loras huddled in the entrance hall, doing their best to dry themselves before stepping inside to avoid leaving puddles all over the floor.

Jon Snow strolled inside, flicking his wand in their general direction. A blast of dry air erupted from his wand, effectively drying their soaked clothes much more quickly than their own feeble attempts would have.

"Thanks, Professor," Loras called after his retreating form.

Drier and somewhat warmer now, they stepped into the great hall, happy to be away from the raging elements outside.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


The next Defence class was, blessedly, drier. It was still cold, but at least it wasn't raining. Today they were practicing the Shattered Earth spell.

It was an offensive spell, which when cast on the ground, caused large stone spikes to rise from the surface of it.

It was extremely useful in obstructing the way and tripping and possibly injuring pursuers, Jon explained. 

They were standing evenly spaced, waving their wands, casting the spell over and over again.

"The spikes recede when the spell wears off and leave the ground as it was before. If you control the layout of the battlefield, you control the battle."

"Hells, when did Defence Against the Dark Arts turn into military strategy and tactics?" Loras whispered.

"I guess they do things differently in Winterfell," shrugged Missy, "Northerners..."

It was kind of nice to look at, Dany thought, the stone spikes rising and retracting from the earth as if there was a giant beast underneath, occasionally disturbing the surface.

She was doing far better than anyone else in the class, she noted to herself with satisfaction. The spikes that sprouted from the earth at her command were larger, sharper and lasted longer than her classmates'. Some of them did not seem too happy about it.

It all happened in the space of a few seconds.

Dany suddenly saw one of the other students, a cocky asshole named Ramsay Bolton, flick his wand haphazardly in her general direction. 

Stone spikes rapidly erupted from the ground in a straight line towards her. 

Jon Snow, who was standing at the other end of the line instructing Brienne, whipped around and started sprinting in her direction, his wand outstretched. 

Dany had barely registered what was happening when Jon waved his wand and she was blasted from her feet to land a few meters to the side. The stone spikes missed her by mere inches.

Jon was by her side in an instant, reaching his hands out to pull her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" he asked urgently, running his gaze over her body, searching for visible injuries, "I'm sorry for this, I was too far for anything more gentle, I had to push you out of the way."

Dany moved her arms and legs gingerly, everything seemed to be in working order, but her head was throbbing. 

She raised her hand to touch her forehead where it bumped against a rock on the ground. There was a small lump forming there.

Jon prodded it gently with his finger and Dany hissed in pain.

"It's alright, you're alright," he murmured, "you'll have a hell of a headache tomorrow but there will be no lasting damage."

Satisfied that she was not seriously injured, he turned around to narrow his gaze on Ramsay Bolton, who was trying to hide a smirk.

" _You._ "

"Apologies, Professor," drawled Ramsay, "it was an accident."

"Like hells it was," muttered Missy, coming to stand next to Dany, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Loras joined them as well, casting a hateful look towards Ramsay.

Jon strode towards him and, with one swift flick of his wand, had him dangling in mid-air, as though an invisible hand was wrapped around his throat. 

"Go to your Head of House and tell him that your careless ineptitude almost seriously injured another student," spat Jon Snow. He looked positively menacing, glaring at Ramsay who sputtered and struggled, " _Now._ "

Jon lowered his wand and Ramsay crumpled to the ground. He tossed Jon a venomous look and scurried back towards the castle.

"The rest of you, dismissed, we're done for today," said Jon, still looking so intimidating that everybody scrambled to collect their things and leave as quickly as possible.

"Miss Targaryen, come with me, please." 

Dany, Missy and Loras looked at him uncertainly.

Jon smiled faintly, "I'll just give her something for the pain, she's not in trouble."

Loras squeezed Dany' shoulder briefly and dragged Missy away towards the castle.

Dany silently followed Jon back towards the castle and into his office. He closed the door behind them and motioned her to sit on a chair by the hearth, which was twinkling merrily with bright orange flames. Dany scooted closer to the fire, craving the warmth.

He opened a large cabinet mounted on the wall, pulling out some herbs and dropping them in a cup. He added some water and tapped his wand on the mug until steam rose from the surface.

"Potions are usually Martell's speciality, but I can brew a decent Numbing Potion if I should say so myself," he said softly, breaking the silence.

He handed her the mug and she gratefully wrapped her hands around it, taking a careful sip. It tasted faintly of peacebloom and rosemary.

"Does it hurt much?" he asked quietly, stepping closer to eye her forehead critically.

Dany's breath caught at his proximity. Warmth spread slowly through her body. Because of the potion or him, she wasn't sure.

"A bit," she murmured.

He sighed, "you should stay here a little while so I can keep an eye on you, you shouldn't fall asleep just yet."

She could see traces of worry in his eyes, which looked suddenly tired. Unbidden, her thoughts flashed back to the walk they shared after she'd seen him swimming in the lake, to how she stumbled nearly into his arms.

 _'You keep stumbling.'_

_'Only when you're around.'_

Dany was very glad to be sitting down now.

She cast her gaze around the room, anxious to break the tension in the air. Her eyes fell upon a chess set sitting on a shelf in the corner.

She perked up, "Do you play?"

Jon followed her gaze to the shelf and quirked a small smile, "do you?"

She nodded. It used to be Rhaegar's favorite game. He taught her when she was little, spent hours patiently instructing her on the different pieces and their moves, showing her tips and sharing strategies. She was good and she knew it.

So good, in fact, that Viserys, after a long chain of losses to her, point-blank refused to play with her anymore, despite being a decent chess player himself. She liked to endlessly tease him about that.

Jon got up from his seat and brought the chess set along with a small table, placing it gently between them.

It was a thing of beauty. Made of shiny black and white marble, the pieces polished to perfection, gleaming in the flickering light cast by the fire in the hearth.

"Black or white?" he inquired.

"White." White always moved first in chess, which gave it a marginal advantage. She had always felt more comfortable with it. Setting the pace, being the aggressor. _Black seems more appropriate for him, anyway._

He placed the board accordingly and leaned back in his chair, "Your move."

She opened with what she considered her signature move.

Jon pursed his lips across from her, a smile ghosting his face.

"The Queen's gambit," he remarked, leaning forward to make his own move.

_Queen's Gambit accepted._

Dany looked up to see the challenge in his eyes. She smiled.

_Game on._

They played in silence. The only sounds the occasional crackling of the fire and scraping of pieces on the chessboard.

It was an incredibly intense game, they were obviously evenly matched. Grappling with each other for dominance, losing pieces, gaining a better position, each of them trying to outsmart and outplay the other.

They were nearing the end of the game. Most pieces lay discarded on the side of the board.

Dany's hands were damp with nerves as she moved to take his bishop with her castle, thereby allowing the castle to be taken by his pawn. It was a calculated move, she needed it to execute her end game.

She took a deep breath. _This is it._

She moved her knight so it was threatening his king.

"Check."

She glanced up at him. His gaze was fixed on her, eyes half-lidded, staring at her through his lashes. She felt the tension mounting. She swallowed, mouth feeling dry all of a sudden.

She leaned nervously back in her seat, "your move, Professor."

He shook his head slightly, as if to rouse himself, and moved his queen to take her knight.

Dany couldn't suppress a triumphant grin once he had finished his move. He blinked at her and then glanced at the board, his mouth falling open slightly.

"Seven hells," he muttered when she moved her queen to checkmate his king, ending the game.

He shook his head slightly as a wide smile spread across his face.

Dany's breath caught in her throat. She had never thought of men as _beautiful_ , but at that moment, she couldn't imagine a word better suited to describe him.

The smile transformed his face from achingly handsome to breathtaking. He was, quite literally, taking her breath away. 

She had to suppress the urge to touch him, to run her fingers over the perfect bow of his upper lip, to check if his lips were as soft as they looked...

"You're very good," he said softly, breaking her out of her trance, "at least I know the blow to the head didn't impair your mental capacity."

"Maybe it did," she teased, "maybe I would've beaten you sooner otherwise." 

He chuckled, shaking his head, and she felt warm all over, burning under his intense gaze.

His expression sobered a little. 

"How are you feeling?" he enquired, the question reminding her that she was there for a reason.

"Better," she said, realising it was true.

"I think it's safe for you to go rest now," he said, moving to collect the chessboard and pieces, placing it back on the shelf.

She nodded and got up, picking up her bag from the floor, trying to ignore the pang of disappointment in her chest.

Jon then instructed her to skip her classes for the rest of the day in order to rest and to inform a staff member immediately if she started feeling dizzy or nauseated. 

She left his office, feeling dazed from reasons entirely unrelated to the bump on her forehead.

She climbed the staircase slowly and entered the Gryffindor common room where Missy, Loras and Marg were already waiting. Marg sprung up from her seat by the fireplace when she entered.

"Dany! Are you ok, honey?" her friends fussed around her and she assured them she was a bit sore but fine otherwise.

"I'm going to kill that ass Bolton," seethed Marg, "I'm going to strangle him in his sleep," she vowed.

Marg's rage on her behalf warmed Dany's heart. 

She dropped into bed after shooing her friends out of the common room, insisting she was fine and just needed to rest. 

And she really was fine. The soreness was reduced to a dull ache now and she just felt extremely tired. A side effect of the potion, she surmised. 

She laid her head gingerly on the pillow and fell asleep almost immediately.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may or may not have noticed, I know very little about chess. So if I wrote complete nonsense... *shrug* now you know why.  
> Inspired by Mcgonagall's animated chess pieces in The Philosopher's Stone.
> 
> Next up.. the Yule Ball. Hopefully, it will be ready right around Christmas Eve.
> 
> As always, comments, kudos appreciated.


	6. Sweet Silver Bells

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.... I know I said you'll be getting to see the Yule Ball in this chapter, but after some late additions, my dear beta pointed out that it would make much more sense to break this chapter off at an earlier point.  
> On the other hand, since this is shorter, I'm able to post this ahead of schedule.  
> The Yule Ball is also underway, though. Soon.

Dany woke up on the first of December and looked out the window in her room. She marvelled at the fresh blanket of pure white snow that covered the grounds. It glittered in the pale sunlight, nearly blinding her.

December was one of her favourite months, she could almost taste the holiday spirit in the air, even with more than three weeks to go.

Along with Missy, she walked down to the common room to find notifications had popped up on the noticeboards there.

Dany stepped through the knot of curious students to have a closer look.

"We're going to visit the Ministry of Magic," she called to Missy, who was a few steps behind her.

The notice announced that all seventh-years would be going on a day-trip to the Ministry of Magic the following Tuesday. All regular lessons for that day were to be cancelled.

Missy scanned the text, "it's so we can consider our future career opportunities," she said excitedly, "that sounds like fun, actually..."

They ended up discussing it with Marg and Loras over breakfast.

"A day away from school, I'm in," said Loras, "I wonder who's chaperoning," he said thoughtfully.

"Chaperoning?"

"They're bound to send some teachers with us, right? To make sure we don't misbehave or torch the place or something..."

Dany chanced at a glance at the staff table. Jon Snow was sitting at his usual spot at the far end of the table, frowning into his coffee cup.

Marg followed her gaze and smiled knowingly, "I'm hoping he will be there too," she stage-whispered to Dany, who flushed and returned her attention to her toast.

The growing closeness between them confused her so. She could scarcely believe she had spent so much time alone with him already. Somehow they kept finding their way back to each other. And yet she always longed for more.

"Good morning, headmaster," Margaery's voice shook her out of her reverie. She lifted her head to see headmaster Seaworth passing by, some scrolls under his arm.

"Good morning, Miss Tyrell," he smiled at her, "excited about our little field trip, I see?" He indicated the parchment clutched in Margaery's hand.

"I am, headmaster! Actually... we were wondering which teachers will be chaperoning this trip," she said politely.

"Ah. Professors Lannister and Greyjoy will accompany you on this excursion," he said, pushing his glasses up his nose, "now, if you'll excuse me, I have some matters to attend to," he bade them farewell and continued on his way.

Dany felt a pang of disappointment as Marg groaned dramatically.

Later that evening, Dany decided to shoot Viserys a text to let him know she'd be visiting the ministry, asking him if he wanted to come meet her. Her phone beeped a few minutes later.

**Sure thing, sis. I'll see you there :)**

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Come Tuesday morning, Dany and Missy dragged themselves out of bed around five in the morning and dressed in silence, too sleepy to talk.  
They joined Marg and Loras at the breakfast table, consuming large amounts of coffee along with the food.

At six o'clock sharp, all seventh-years were dutifully waiting at the entrance hall, where they were instructed to wait before boarding the train to King's Landing.

Professor Lannister was the first staff member to show up, five minutes past the hour, carrying a heavy-looking bag on his shoulder.  
"Apologies for being late, there's been a change of plans," he informed them. Everybody turned to look at him curiously.

"Professor Greyjoy has fallen ill and can't join us today," he explained, "in her stead-"

"-I'll be joining you," came a voice from just behind Tyrion.

Dany's head snapped up to see Jon Snow standing right behind Tyrion. 

He looked as handsome as sin in a black leather jacket over his black button-down shirt, and dark sunglasses.

She bit her lip, trying to hide her smile, giggling at Marg's whispered ' _yey_ '.

Aboard the train, Dany, Missy, Marg and Loras hurried to snag the second compartment for themselves. After a moment they were joined by Grey and Renly.

The rest of the students shuffled aboard, searching for an available compartment. Ramsay Bolton gave them a sour look when he passed by.

"What's his problem?" asked Renly.

"He's an arse," explained Loras, scowling at Ramsay's retreating back, "and he's pissed that Dany's kicking his arse in Defence Against the Dark Arts."

He proceeded to tell Renly about everything that's happened in their recent Defence class.

"-and then Professor Snow dangled him in mid-air and told him to explain to Martell how he's an idiot and nearly injured another student, that part was fun to watch," Dany and Missy both giggled at the memory.

"So whatever happened after class that day anyway, Dany?" Marg suddenly asked, eyebrows raised, "you were gone for quite a while..."

Dany felt her face grow hot, "nothing much," she mumbled, "Professor Snow gave me a numbing potion and had me stay in his office for a bit to make sure I wasn't gonna faint or vomit or something."

"Uh-huh..."

"Well that's nice of him..." said Renly, looking around confused at the amused expressions on Marg, Loras and Missy's faces and at the deepening blush on Dany's cheeks ".. am I missing something?"

Loras smiled slyly, "Dany here has a crush on hot Professor Snow."

"Who doesn't?" said Renly, winking at Loras, both of them laughing.

"She's like his star-pupil, she's the only one who managed Flaming Arrows on the first lesson."

"I didn't MANAGE-"

"They looked so adorable casting the spell together-"

Marg wolf-whistled loudly and Dany rolled her eyes at them, casting Loras a filthy look.

"Not to mention, she's the only one who can cast a halfway decent Shattered Earth-"

"Children-" their compartment door slid open suddenly and everybody quieted down suddenly at the sight of Professor Lannister frowning at them, "keep it down, will you? We're trying to discuss things just next door." He closed the door with a snap.

Marg burst out in a fit of giggles when he left, "do you think they could make out what we were saying?"

"I sure hope not," muttered Dany. She really didn't need Jon Snow hearing that she had a crush on him.

The conversation thankfully turned to other topics after that.

Shortly before noon, the train screeched to a halt.  
Loras poked his head out the window, "Where are we? We can't be in King's Landing already."

Missy looked out the window as well, "Horn Hill, I think," she said slowly, looking around curiously.

"What are we stopping here for, do you reckon?"

Their compartment door slid open just then and Professor Lannister poked his head inside, "Come along, children, it's lunchtime."

They shuffled outside, pulling their coats tightly around them, shivering in the light breeze.

Professors Snow and Lannister ushered everyone out of the train and into a small inn, where they were treated to roast beef sandwiches, green salad and a sweet beverage that tasted vaguely of apples and ginger.

Once lunch was concluded, they all climbed back into the train.

Dany followed her friends back into their compartment when she was suddenly pitched violently forward, nearly crashing into the compartment door.

"Dany, are you ok?" Loras, who was just a step in front of her, hurried towards the door and helped her up.

"Yeah, fine," Dany got up, rubbing her arm which she scraped on the door, and looked around.

Ramsay Bolton was standing a few paces behind her, fingering his wand and sniggering at her.

"Bit clumsy there, Targaryen, better watch yourself," he said, smirking.

"Mr. Bolton."

Ramsay whipped around to see Professor Snow standing right behind him. His eyes were narrow gray slits, anger radiated from him in waves. His expression was positively alarming and Ramsay cowered a bit in his spot.

"Come with me," said Professor Snow coldly, leading him a little way away to the side of the train.

Dany and Loras glanced at each other, staying where they were at the compartment entrance. They could just make out Jon Snow's words from where they stood.

"This is the second time now you've attacked a student. The same student, in fact, as the first time," they heard him say, "if you so much as go near her again, I'll make sure you deeply regret it."

His voice was low and menacing, Dany felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Are you threatening me, Professor?" they heard Ramsay's voice.

"You better believe it," said Jon's voice coldly, "now go back to your compartment and STAY THERE."

Ramsay ambled back to his compartment, shooting them a look of pure venom when he passed by.

Professor Snow climbed back into the train and Dany and Loras jumped slightly, embarrassed to be caught listening in.

"You alright?" he asked her softly. His voice was gentle, but anger was still evident in his expression.

She nodded mutely, breath catching slightly, and Jon nodded, turning away to go back to his compartment without another word.

Loras stared after Jon's retreating form, mouth slightly agape.  
"Damn, Dany," he murmured, "you got yourself a knight in shining armour... well, black leather armour."

Dany rolled her eyes, "don't be ridiculous, Loras, he'd do the same thing for any other student."  
Although... if she were perfectly honest with herself, she wasn't too sure about that anymore.

"Come on," she tugged at his arm, pulling him back into the compartment.

The train started moving again shortly after.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


They reached King's Landing merely an hour afterwards and the students were quickly ushered out of the train.

They boarded some waiting cars, which took them directly into the Ministry of Magic.

Inside the vast Ministry building, Professor Lannister had them all gather in the atrium to inform them of the plan for the day.

"We're going to go visit the different departments together," he said in a carrying voice so everybody could hear him clearly, "once we're in a department, you're free to roam and look around, however..." he frowned slightly, "make sure not to get in anyone's way and BEHAVE."

"You're also not allowed to go roaming _anywhere_ on your own," Professor Snow added with a frown. His dark sunglasses were perched on top of his head. He had finally removed his black leather jacket, which he slung over his shoulder.

He looked more like a rock star than a teacher at that moment and Dany could see a lot of the students, mostly the girls, staring at him with slightly open mouths.

They walked towards the security checkpoint, the professors presenting their wands as identification.

Once the security check was done, they were ushered towards a set of lifts which stood behind wrought golden grilles.  
The professors divided them into groups of six and instructed them to take a lift to level seven.

They dutifully departed the lift at level seven, stepping into a long corridor. The sign mounted over the wall informed them they were visiting the department of Magical Games and Sports. They all huddled around the lifts, looking around curiously.

"Lannister!" a broad-shouldered man strode over to them, smiling jovially.

"Flint," Professor Lannister smiled in greeting as the other man clapped him on the shoulder.

"These your students?" he asked, blinking owlishly at them all. Not waiting for a response, he ushered them all into a large room, which had posters of various Quidditch teams hanging on the walls.

Margaery and Grey stepped forward eagerly, scanning the posters with interest.

The man, who they learned was the head of the department, launched into an explanation about the work they do there, which seemed largely related to Quidditch.

Many of the students seemed highly interested in what he had to say, but Dany lost interest rather quickly. She was never a big Quidditch fan. She picked up a copy of 'Quidditch Through the Ages' which was laying on a desk at the far end of the room and leafed through it restlessly.

"Not your scene?" she heard a quiet voice beside her and looked up to gaze into the eyes of Professor Jon Snow.

"No, it's not," she admitted sheepishly, putting the book down, "I was never much into Quidditch... how about you?" she asked tentatively.

He chuckled, "I used to be Quidditch captain at school."

_Of course he was._

She let her eyes rove over him, thinking that he wasn't bulky enough to be a Beater or a Keeper. Which left Chaser or Seeker.

"Seeker?" she ventured a guess. He struck her as more of a lone wolf than a team player.

"Aye," he smiled, "I've always been good at hunting things."

_Hunting._ There was a predatory glint in his eyes when he looked at her and at the moment he looked every bit the Direwolf he could transform into, even in his human form. It felt as though the air was crackling between them.  
Dany swallowed, warm all over until the noise in the vicinity broke her out of her trance.

Flint was now busy handing out pamphlets to all the students, bidding them farewell and encouraging them to contact him should they be interested in a position in the department once they have completed their education.

Dany regretfully moved away from Jon to join the rest of the class.  
Everybody thanked the man politely and headed out, moving towards the lifts again.

They moved on to several more departments, going through roughly the same routine in each. Finally, they went on to level two, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Dany texted a quick _'I'm here'_ to her brother once they stepped off the lift. They were just passing by the Improper Use of Magic office when a door opened at the end of the corridor and out came her brother, striding towards her.

"Dany," he exclaimed, enveloping her in a hug.

"Hi Vis," she murmured. She hadn't realized until that moment that she had actually missed him.

He released her and turned to shake the hand of Tyrion Lannister, "Professor Lannister, it's nice to see you again."

"Viserys Targaryen, of course," Tyrion returned the handshake, "are you working for the Ministry now?"

"Administrative Registration office."

"Your sister is an excellent student," Tyrion said with a smile.

"I don't doubt it," Viserys glanced at her proudly and she pinkened a bit.

"Vis, this is Professor Snow, my Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," Dany said politely.

Viserys raised an eyebrow, shaking Jon's hand next, "I don't remember you from my time at The Academy," he said slowly.

"I just started teaching this year," said Jon, returning the handshake.

"I mean to say, I don't remember you as a student."

"I didn't go to The Academy," Jon replied easily, "I went to Winterfell."

Viserys kept staring at him like he was trying to figure something out, but everybody was now moving along the corridor and Dany pulled him along and away from her teacher. From some reason, it made her nervous to have Viserys talking to Jon Snow.

"He seems awfully young to be teaching," muttered Viserys as they walked along the corridor, a few steps behind the others.

Dany shrugged, "the headmaster didn't explain his hiring decisions to us."

"Mm," Viserys didn't look convinced, "is he a good teacher?"

"He-he's amazing, actually," said Dany, a tad breathlessly, "he's a very talented and powerful wizard, the lessons have been very interesting and... why are you looking at me like this?" she demanded when Viserys quirked an eyebrow, an amused expression on his face.

"Because it sounds like you have a little crush, is all," he whispered in her ear.

"I do NOT." _That was an outright lie._

She sincerely hoped nobody could hear them, stepping a bit further back to make absolutely sure they weren't being overheard.

Viserys just chuckled, patting her on the shoulder.

The group had reached the entrance to the Auror Headquarters, a balding wizard with a bushy white beard already making his way towards them, a big smile on his face.

"Snow! How nice to see you again, lad," he clapped his hand on Jon's shoulder, a proud expression on his face, "it's been too long."

He turned to the students, "welcome students, to the Auror Headquarters," he said, gesturing behind him at the large room.  
He introduced himself as Barristan Selmy, head of the Auror Office, "your teacher used to work here, you know, he was one of my best."

Dany's mouth fell open. _Jon used to be an Auror?_.

There were murmurs around her, the rest of the students were just as surprised to learn this fact, it seemed.

"Well, that definitely explains a lot," muttered Loras, who suddenly materialized next to her, accompanied by Marg and Renly, "who other than an ex-Auror would teach us battle-magic?"

"Hello again," Viserys smiled at Loras. Her friends had met her brother two summers ago when they came to visit her in Dragonstone.

_The better question is,_ Dany thought to herself, as her friends greeted her brother, _why on earth he left the Auror office to become a teacher, especially since it seems he excelled at his job_.

Her thoughts were interrupted as they stepped further into the Auror office. It was a large open-space, divided into cubicles. It was buzzing with activity.

Everybody congregated around Selmy to listen.

"As you all undoubtedly know, Aurors are our defence force against practitioners of the Dark Arts," he said in a serious voice, "all Aurors are very well-versed in offensive and defensive magic."  
He led them around the room, showing them around while he talked, "be warned, it is a dangerous job, it takes courage and quick-thinking, it is not for the faint of heart..."  
He continued on, explaining about the day-to-day work of an Auror.

Dany was listening at first, but her mind wandered.

_This is what Rhaegar used to do,_ she thought, an ache forming in her chest. Viserys, who seemed to have guessed where her thoughts were at, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing them gently.

"He was great, you know," he murmured to her, "one of the best."

Dany just nodded, willing herself not to cry.

"He'd be proud if you followed in his footsteps," Viserys whispered so only she could hear.

Dany drew in a long, shuddering breath and said nothing, but on the way out, she took one of the informational pamphlets about applying to an Auror position, slipping it into her pocket.

Viserys gave her a gentle smile. He hugged her tightly when the visit was over, telling she could call him anytime if she needed anything.

She returned the hug, gave him a peck on the cheek, and hurried back to her friends, who were dutifully filing into the lifts again to leave the Ministry of Magic. She felt somehow lighter all of a sudden.

The train ride back to The Academy was quite uneventful. The hot topic of conversation was, unsurprisingly, Professor Snow's past as an Auror.

"So why do you think he left?" asked Missy, who was leaning against Grey's chest, "that Selmy guy said he was one of the best."

"Of course he was," sighed Marg, "he seems to be good in pretty much everything."

Dany privately agreed.

"Maybe he got tired of it," said Loras thoughtfully, "too much excitement and such, it's a dangerous job, I mean-"

He hastily glanced at Dany, looking guilty.

"It's ok, Loras, I don't mind you talking about it," Dany murmured. 

Her friends knew about Rhaegar, of course, but it wasn't something she was anxious to discuss. It  
was still a painful topic.

They sat in awkward silence for a few moments, until Marg changed the subject to Quidditch.

"So," she flipped her hair, "think I have the makings of a future Quidditch superstar?"

"You might actually have to play Quidditch, you know, not just follow the championship," said Loras drily, seemingly glad for the change of subject.

Marg punched his shoulder, "maybe I'm a natural, I'll just be awesome without needing to practice."

"You should probably have a Plan B, sis."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Tyrion had dozed off on the bench across from his, head resting on the window.

But Jon couldn't rest, thoughts spinning around in his mind, staring unseeing at the scenery outside the window.

He couldn't get her out of his mind. And it was getting worse. He had taken to waking up in the middle of the night, restless and frustrated, unable to sleep or to draw his thoughts away from her. Wondering what her lips would taste like, what she would look like naked in his bed...

He felt a pang at the vicinity of his heart when he thought back to that lesson when she almost got hurt. The momentary panic that seized him when he saw her lying unmoving on the ground.  
The rush of rage that followed, aimed at the idiot who had almost caused her serious injury.  
He could barely control himself then, he was one step away from wrapping his bare hands around that cocky kid's throat.

But she was just fine, he reminded himself. He was the one that's in trouble.

He closed his eyes, unable to prevent himself from picturing her in his mind's eye. A smile on her lips, fire in her eyes.

_Your move, Professor._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_Hark how the bells,  
Sweet silver bells,  
All seem to say,  
Throw cares away_

  


"It's a Blackwater weekend this week, you guys," announced Marg one chilly morning, about two weeks into December, "Let's go do our annual Christmas shopping."

Blackwater village was a quaint little village situated within a walking distance of The Academy.

It was a tradition the four of them had ever since the first year they've met. They always went to Blackwater village shortly before Christmas to have lunch, buy presents for their families and bask in the holiday atmosphere.

They all agreed to go the following Saturday.

  


_Christmas is here,  
Bringing good cheer,  
To young and old,  
Meek and the bold_

  


On Saturday around lunchtime, they bundled up in their winter coats, scarves and wooly caps and walked to the great hall, leaving the castle together towards Blackwater village.

Snow started falling as they walked, accompanied by an icy wind, freezing every bit of exposed skin.

"Let's go have lunch at The Wild Boar," suggested Loras, his teeth chattering, referring to their favourite pub on the outskirts of the village.

They all nodded in agreement, clutching their coats about them against the chill in the air.

  


_Ding dong ding dong  
That is their song  
With joyful ring  
All caroling_

  


They entered the bar, closing the door quickly behind them and shedding their coats.

Tormund, the pub proprietor, waved at them with a smile and went back to chatting with the patrons sitting by the bar.  
He was a hulk of a man with deep blue eyes and a scraggly ginger beard. Dany felt certain had some giant blood coursing through his veins.

They chose a table in a corner and huddled close together, still shivering from the cold.

Tormund came over a minute later.

"So what will it be today?" he asked.

"We'll have stew and... four mugs of ale, please," said Margaery.

"Ale, huh, you kids sure have grown since the last time I've seen ya," he laughed, "comin' right up."

Tormund came back a short time later, four plates with steaming stew hovering at the tip of his wand. They glided towards them, coming to land softly on the table in front of each of them. They all tucked into their meals immediately.

They had a lovely time eating and drinking, warmed to the bone by the delicious hot food.

  


_One seems to hear  
Words of good cheer  
From everywhere  
Filling the air_

  


The door to the pub opened and closed, briefly allowing a gust of cold wind to make its way inside.

"Well if it isn't my favourite crow," roared Tormund, striding towards the newcomer to envelop him in a big hug.

They all looked up from their plates and Dany's breath caught when she realised that it was Jon Snow Tormund was currently nearly choking in a big bear-hug.

"Let him breathe, Giantsbane," came Tyrion Lannister's voice from behind Jon.

" _Crow?_ ," asked Missy in a low voice, in order to avoid being overheard, "what's that about?"  
There were shrugs all around.

"Maybe it's because he never wears anything but black," suggested Dany.

"And he looks good doing it," sighed Margaery, eyeing Jon Snow who was wearing a black coat that he didn't even bother closing. He wasn't wearing a cap or gloves and seemed generally unbothered by the cold. He was wearing his usual black shirt and jeans underneath.

Jon and Tyrion removed their coats and took seats at the bar.

"So what brings you here, crow?" Tormund asked, pouring Jon a big mug of Northern ale, "got tired of freezing your tiny little pecker up in the North, have ya?"

"Tiny, huh," Jon sipped from his mug, "you speak as if you've seen it."

"Well if you're offerin'," Tormund wiggled his eyebrows in a lewd expression.

"I'm not."

Tormund roared with laughter again and clapped him hard on his back, nearly sending the mug flying right out of his hand.

Margaery clapped her hand over her mouth to avoid laughing too loudly and draw attention to them. The rest of them also had a hard time trying to suppress their giggles.

"Jon's our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, actually," said Tyrion, also accepting a giant mug of ale from Tormund.

"Teachin', eh?" Tormund seemed surprised, "but didn't they make you-"

"Maybe we shouldn't discuss it here," interrupted Jon, glaring at Tyrion.

"Alright lad, don' get yer knickers in a twist," Tormund rolled his eyes. He then went on to tell them about a woman he recently met.

Dany, Missy, Loras and Marg were all done eating and Loras suggested they move on.

Tormund came by to take the payment and stalked off again, returning to his conversation with Jon and Tyrion.

The four of them got up, wrapping themselves tightly in their outdoors clothes again.

The marched out, passing by the bar on the way.

"Professors," Margaery greeted, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she eyed Jon, ogling shamelessly.

Dany just nodded in their general direction, heartbeat erratic as it always seemed to be around him.

She heard Tormund's voice just as they were exiting the pub.

"Nothin' changed, eh, crow? Still popular with the ladies, I see."

She didn't hear Jon's reply, but her stomach squirmed uncomfortably at Tormund's words.

  


_Oh how they pound,  
Raising the sound,  
O'er hill and dale,  
Telling their tale_

  


They walked down the street towards the main part of the village, which was lined with small shops.

Dany found a set of cufflinks shaped as dragons for Viserys. They roared quite realistically in tiny voices. 

Marg and Loras found a hat, which Margaery claimed her grandmother would love. It was bright green and had a rose pattern on the brim.

Missy decided to get a Mireenese style sweater for Grey and some lovely antique Christmas ornaments for her parents.

  


_Gaily they ring  
While people sing  
Songs of good cheer,  
Christmas is here._

  


They were poking around in a small dusty store that seemed to have the most peculiar selection of items that had no common denominator whatsoever.

Dany's eyes suddenly caught on an item hanging behind a display of cinnamon-scented candles.

It was a pendant shaped like a direwolf. Made of burnished silver and hanging on a simple silver chain. She touched it with trembling fingers.

_This is a terrible idea_ , she reasoned, _it's completely inappropriate... and it's not like I'll ever actually give it to him._

But she couldn't help herself.

She grabbed the pendant and paid for it hastily before her friends noticed what she was up to. She pushed it deep into her pocket, wondering if she would ever work out the courage to give it to him.

  


_Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas,  
Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas..._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany was lost in thought while trudging through the snow back towards the castle with her friends.

Thoughts of Jon Snow had been intruding her mind increasingly often lately.

It'd been taking her longer and longer to fall asleep at night, her mind ceaselessly conjuring images of him, remembering the few times they spent alone together.

His arms wrapping around her, keeping her from falling.  
The fear in his eyes when he thought she might have gotten hurt.  
His eyes glinting when he looked at her across the chessboard.  
The feel of his hand upon hers.

She shivered.

The memories often morphed into ridiculous fantasies in her mind. Most of them ending up with them in bed together... naked, sweaty and exhausted, blissfully tangled with each other. These outrageous thoughts often resulted in her becoming aroused and frustrated beyond belief.

She also feared that what she was feeling for him had changed. Crossed from physical attraction and admiration for his prowess in Defense Against the Dark Arts to something... more. 

And more unnerving still... she started to suspect that her feelings were not completely one-sided.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music for this chapter:  
> Carol of the Bells is my favorite Christmas Carol.  
> And here's one of my favorite versions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKkzbbLYPuI
> 
> Aaand now for something completely different... a question for you, dear readers.  
> How many of you are HP fans? Read the books? Watched the movies at least?  
> I'm partly just curious, partly wondering how much exposition I need to include for HP terms (like Animagus or Auror).  
> Answer if you wish.


	7. Snowfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again,
> 
> I know many of you are eager to read this chapter, so I'll keep most of my ramblings to the end notes.
> 
> I do, however, want to say a huuuge THANK YOU to all of you for reading and commenting. Writing is hard work and your lovely comments make it all worth it.
> 
> And now, ladies and gentlemen, The Yule Ball (plus some extra stuff).
> 
> Enjoy!

  


With just a week to go before Christmas, the snowfall became heavier overnight. The castle woke up to find the grounds covered by approximately two feet of snow.

Having hoped for all lessons to take place indoors due to the heavy snowfall, Dany, Missy and Loras were severely disappointed to find out that their penultimate Defence Against the Dark Arts of the term would take place outside, at the clearing by the magical shield.

"I suppose we should have seen it coming," said Loras glumly, as the three of them used their wands to clear a path in the heavy snow on their way to the shield, "Professor Snow clearly didn't mind having a lesson outdoors during a rainstorm, so a little snowfall is not likely to bother him one bit."

With some difficulty, they finally made their way to the clearing, finding out, to their great relief, that a large patch of ground around the shield had been mostly cleared of snow. Only a fine powdery layer remained on the frozen ground.

Dany was immensely grateful that they didn't have to spend the lesson submerged in snow to their knees.

Professor Snow, true to his name, did not seem at all bothered by the weather, as usual. Although he did sport a gray scarf around his neck, which was the only spot of color in his usual all-black attire.

"Do my eyes deceive me, is Professor Jon Snow actually wearing a scarf?" Missy whispered, "maybe he's sick."

 _He doesn't look sick_ , Dany thought to herself, admiring the way the scarf brought out the stormy gray of his eyes. He was standing silently to one side, watching the rest of the students slowly make their way to the clearing. 

His gaze was bright and alert as always, and Dany could see a faint tint of pink peeking from under his beard, most likely from the cold. His hair was tousled by the light breeze, one errant curl falling across his left eye. He brushed it away absentmindedly, and Dany had the insane desire to run her hands through his hair, to see what his curls would look like spilling around his face.

Once everyone had trudged their way to the clearing, Jon stepped forward and the lesson commenced.

"Today we will be discussing synergistic spellcasting," he announced. He paused for a moment, as everybody scooted closer to listen intently.

"This type of magic allows a witch or a wizard to lend their magical power to another, in order to empower the other person's spellcasting," he twirled his wand idly as he spoke, "I don't need to explain the benefits of such an ability. An ally might lend you their power in order for you to cast a stronger ward or produce a more powerful offensive spell."

He looked around at their eager faces and smiled faintly, "sounds tempting, doesn't it? As usual, it's not as simple as it sounds."

He proceeded to explain that the effect of this ability is usually short-lived. Only good enough for a very small number of spellcasts at a time before the lender of magic would need to recuperate.

"Much like the Barrier Ward spell, this ability is mentally exhausting, so be prepared."

Jon then stepped backwards, facing the giant shield hovering in mid-air and drew his wand.

"I'll need a volunteer to demonstrate this ability," he announced. The students looked around uncomfortably, clearly hesitant.

Jon cracked a faint smile, "I promise I won't bite," he said drily as some students giggled in response.

"What's the point of volunteering then?" Loras whispered to Dany, who bit her lip to keep from laughing. The sly smile on his lips vanished in an instant at Jon Snow's next words.

"Mr. Tyrell, you seem to be eager to contribute, step over here, please."

Loras gulped and moved closer to Jon, clutching his wand nervously.

Jon then instructed him to face the shield and cast a basic frostbolt spell. Loras, looking puzzled, raised his wand and muttered an incantation. A thin ray of frost burst from the tip of his wand to hit the shield in a flurry of ice particles.

Jon nodded, "Good. Now give me your hand," he said.

"W-what?" squeaked Loras, in a higher than usual voice, his face reddening.

Dany and Missy had to clamp their hands over their mouths to keep from laughing out loud at the somewhat alarmed expression on Loras' face.

Jon rolled his eyes and stepped closer to Loras, gripping his arm with one hand, and raising his wand with the other. He closed his eyes and waved his wand in a complicated gesture. There was an electrical sort of tension in the air, like right before a lightning storm.

"Now try again," he instructed Loras, eyes still closed.

Loras raised his wand again. This time something that seemed like a small avalanche erupted from the end of Loras' wand, crashing into the shield like a tidal wave.

Jon Snow dropped his hand, Loras standing there, gaping in shock. Many of the students clamoured in appreciation. Everybody was now anxious to try it.

Jon demonstrated the wand gesture again, explaining the incantation and what they should be concentrating on. He then told them to split into triplets and practice, in order to have the chance to rest slightly between attempts.

"We could've fried an egg on your face, Lor," Dany whispered to Loras, who was grouped with Missy and herself, happy to be on the teasing side for a change.

Loras sighed, "I suppose I had it coming," he said.

"Not so easy to concentrate when he's touching you, is it?" Dany smirked at him. Missy giggled, patting Loras' shoulder.

"You're enjoying this way too much."

"Oh pff, I earned it, you've been teasing me for months now."

"You lot don't seem like you're working very hard," Jon Snow's voice made Dany jump guiltily and hastily go back to practicing.

She kept stealing glances at Jon while the lesson went on, hoping he will come by. Her feelings towards him aside, she was hoping for another demonstration. Preferably with her as his partner. However, to her chagrin, he stayed on the other end of the row, instructing other students. If she didn't know better, she could swear he was trying to avoid her.

Predictably, an hour into the lesson, they made no progress. Dany just couldn't feel the 'lightning bolt sensation' that Loras had described, the sensation she was supposed to feel when someone was lending her their magic.

"You guys must be doing it wrong," she whined.

"I'm not feeling anything from your end, either," complained Missy, stretching her wand hand.

"Loras, can you describe again what it felt like?"

They both turned to squint at Loras who was frowning slightly, considering.

"Well..." he said slowly, "it felt sort of like a wave... Like there was this current flowing into me and..." he mumbled something incomprehensible.

"Come again?"

Loras huffed, cheeks reddening slightly, "I said it felt like he was opening up to me," he mumbled, shuffling his feet.

Dany and Missy stared.

"Umm, opening how?"

"Like, I could sense what he was feeling."

"You... could read his mind?"

"Well no, not outright read his mind," Loras frowned thoughtfully, "more like an impression of his state of mind, I guess."

"Which was what?" Dany asked in a whisper, feeling a sort of tension in the pit of her stomach.

"Mostly focus, determination, and..."

"What?"

Loras glanced at Dany and then shook his head slightly, "nothing, probably just my imagination."

Dany bit her lip. She had a feeling he wasn't being completely truthful, but she decided against pushing him.

They slowly went back to practicing.

By the end of the lesson, they made only marginal progress.

Dany made her back to the castle, trailing after her friends, deep in thought.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


On the morning of the Yule Ball, Margaery decided they should all go out to the grounds and enjoy the snow. So after breakfast, Dany and Missy went back to their dorms, bundled up in heavy coats, woolen hats, scarves, and gloves and went back to the common room.

Loras met them there and they all made their way to the exit doors to meet Margaery.

They spent a particularly enjoyable morning building lopsided snowmen and having old-fashioned snowball fights.

It felt good to be silly like this, thought Dany, as she used her wand to magic three snowballs into chasing Margaery around. Marg screamed and ran away, spending a few seconds running around in circles, before whipping her wand out of her pocket to produce an impressive Protector's Ward. The snowballs collided with the shield and splattered to the ground.

"Well done, Marg," yelled Missy, dodging a snowball aimed at her by Loras, "Professor Snow would be proud."

Marg laughed, bowing deeply as though she was standing on stage.

They spent nearly three hours playing in the snow until Loras complained that he was hungry, so they made their way back to the castle.

After a light lunch of sandwiches and soup (there was to be a feast in the ball that night), they all went back to their dorms to rest and get ready for the ball.

After showering and spending an inordinate amount of time drying her hair, Dany went to dig in her trunk to find her gown. 

After a few minutes of frantic digging (this trunk truly felt sometimes like it was bigger on the inside), she finally gave a cry of triumph and pulled it out, using her wand to smooth away the wrinkles.

It was a beautiful dress in shimmering sparkly silver. It had a fitted bodice and a flowing skirt, going all the way to her feet. She also pulled out a matching pair of sparkly silver high-heels.

She pulled the dress on, careful not to step on the hem and combed out her long hair.

Her hairstyle for tonight was a few braids on the top of her head, framing it like a crown, while the rest of her hair fell down in soft silvery waves.

She fixed her favourite silver earrings in the shape of a dragon to her ears to complete the look, and stepped to the mirror, eyeing herself critically.

Missy, who was already dressed and was busy doing her makeup, glanced in her direction.

"You look amazing, Dany," she said warmly, "the eyes of all the guys in this castle will be on you tonight."

Dany smiled, warmed by her friend's kind words, "I doubt it, but thank you."

There was really only one guy she was longing to see tonight. Only one guy she wished she could go to the ball with. But that was not an option. 

But that didn't stop her from daydreaming about what he would look wearing a black suit, what it would feel like to dance with him, his arms wrapped around her waist, hands splayed on her back, his lips lightly touching her temple...

She mentally shook herself and went to work on her makeup.

When they were both ready, it was still two hours to go before they had to go down to the ball. Missy texted Marge, asking if she wanted to come hang out with them until it was time to go.

A surprisingly short time afterwards, Marg burst into the room, wearing a tight pale-blue dress and clutching two bottles of Dornish Red.

"Where did you get those?" asked Missy, gaping at her.

"The kitchens," giggled Marge, "the house-elves took some convincing but they finally agreed to kindly hand over some booze when I said I was of age."

Missy picked up her wand and made a quick circular movement. Three empty wine glasses materialised and she handed them around.

They filled the glasses to the brim, clinked them together and drank.

They spent the next hour and a half laughing, gossiping and polishing off almost all of the wine. Dany's head was pleasantly spinning after her third glass.

"Well, that's the last of it," announced Marg, clumsily pouring the rest of the wine into her glass and accidentally splashing some on her dress.

"Oh nooooo," she moaned, "I'm really shit at cleaning spells, now I have to change."

She promised Dany and Missy she'll meet them in the great hall in time for the ball and scampered back to her room to change.

When the time finally came, Dany and Missy made their way to the great hall. Loras had texted earlier to say he was meeting Renly and that he would see them in the ball.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany and Missy stepped into the great hall, which has transformed into a magical ballroom, straight out of a fairytale. 

Torches were gleaming on the walls, yellow and blue flames flickering merrily. There were ten giant Christmas trees situated at the edges of the room, decorated with glittering ornaments, shiny stars, and tiny flickering lights.

Grey walked over to them, Missy happily going into his arms for a hug and a quick peck on the lips.

"You look beautiful," he said to her in his heavily-accented voice.

"Thank you," Missy flushed with pleasure, "you look great too."

Grey was wearing a black suit with golden patterns on it, in a classic Mireenese style.

"You also look beautiful, Dany," he said politely, kissing her cheek.

"See, I told you so," Missy smiled at her, "you're going to turn so many heads tonight..."

"Dany, Missy!!!" Marg ran over to them and gathered them both in a hug.

"You just saw us, you know," Dany giggled.

"You look stunning, Marg," said Missy warmly as they hugged her back, Dany nodding fervently in agreement.

Marg did look stunning in a deep plum-coloured gown with roses embroidered on the front. The neckline of the dress dipped impressively low. Dany was truly impressed that it hasn't fallen off.

"Yes, amazing, sis," said Loras, who just strode over to them, accompanied by Renly, both of them in matching navy suits, "did you forget half the dress back in your room?"

Margaery shrugged nonchalantly, her breasts in immediate danger of spilling out of the dress with the delicate gesture. 

"Hey, if you got it, flaunt it, am I right?" she gave them a sly wink.

"You guys remember Dickon Tarly, right?" Marg tugged on the arm of her date, who was standing next to her, smiling nervously.

"Sure, nice to see you again, Dickon," Missy smiled at him as he gave a nervous nod.

They decided to try and find a table big enough for all of them and hurried to sit down as the feast started.

Christmas carols played in the background as they ate, enjoying the delicious meal and each other's company. The teachers were seated by a long table in the back of the room, and Dany desperately tried to steal glances at Jon Snow when nobody was looking.

He was seated to the right of the headmaster, who tonight donned a red Father Christmas hat and chuckled merrily at something Jon had told him.

Jon was wearing a plain black suit with a white dress shirt underneath. He looked so incredibly handsome that Dany was having trouble keeping her eyes off of him.

"Girl, you're staring," Missandei whispered in her ear, giving her a knowing grin.

Dany flushed and dropped her gaze back to her food.

After the desserts had been eaten and the feast concluded, the headmaster rose from his seat and raised his arms.

"Now that we have finished our delicious feast, kindly rise from your seats, and let the Yule Ball begin."

Everybody got up from their seats, excited to continue the festivities.

The headmaster waved his wand in a great arc, and the long tables vanished. The lights dimmed, leaving the room in semi-darkness. The ceiling was full of tiny twinkling stars.

"The live performance will begin shortly," the headmaster announced, "enjoy!"

Everybody cheered.

"I wonder which band they booked for the live music this year," said Missy, craning her neck to look at the stage, which was still empty save for a drum set that was standing in the back right corner.

"I hope it's something good," said Marg excitedly, "we had The Weird Sisters last year..."

A few minutes later, there was a movement on stage, as three young people climbed on it to tumultuous applause.

"Oh gods, oh Gods, oh GODS," squealed Marg, "it's The Winter Wolves."

She was bouncing up and down excitedly, clutching Dickon's lapels.

Dany eyed the band with interest. There was a tall, beautiful red-haired young woman, standing by a keyboard, an auburn-haired man with a kind smile and a guitar, and a younger girl who looked no older than twenty. She had dark hair and eyes and looked vaguely familiar. The girl seated herself at the drum set, expertly twirling the drumsticks between her fingers.

She knew of them enough to know that they were a Northern band and that they were all siblings. They became quite successful in the last few years, making a name for themselves in Westeros and beyond.

The redhead approached the mic, mounted in the front of the stage to address the screaming crowd, who quieted slightly to listen.

"Good evening, everyone," she had to pause as everybody started screaming again.

"We are The Winter Wolves. Enjoy."

Without further ado, she raised the violin and the music started.

 _They are quite good,_ Dany thought happily as she danced to the music with Missy, Grey, Marg, Loras, Grey, Renly and Dickon.

They jumped and screamed for every new song that started, enjoying the music and the electrifying atmosphere. This was _FUN._

She kept glancing around the room, hoping to see Jon. But he had all but vanished. Probably hiding in his office or something, she thought, disappointment washing over her, he didn't seem like a party kind of guy.

Marg and Dickon seemed to have vanished as well at some point. After a few minutes, Dany spotted them making out under a clump of mistletoe in the corner of the room.

The Winter Wolves finished the current song to excited applause from the crowd.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


They struck a new tune now, a quieter, slower one. Everybody on the dancefloor seemed to pair-up in an instant. 

Dany looked around her and sighed a little. _Here we go again..._  
She was contemplating stepping out for a few when a hand tapped her shoulder. She turned around eagerly to look into the hopeful eyes of... Daario.

"Oh, hi," she said awkwardly, trying to hide her disappointment. _Well, what did you expect, really?_ she chided herself, plastering a fake smile on her face.

"Dance with me?" he asked politely, offering her his hand.

Dany was about to refuse when she saw the look in his eyes. So hopeful, so pleading. She sighed to herself. _It is Christmas..._

She nodded her agreement and he carefully placed his arms around her waist.

Dany placed her hands on his shoulders as they revolved slowly.

It was not unpleasant, he was not a bad guy, she thought wistfully. But he made her feel nothing, absolutely nothing, especially compared with the person that have been haunting her thoughts and dreams of late... but he was unattainable to her. A dream, a sweet fantasy. She couldn't have him... and oh, how it hurt.

She didn't see the pair of dark gray eyes, following her every movement from the shadows.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


His gaze followed her, his eyes narrowing on her delicate form, the arms of someone else around her.

The wave hit him hard and fast, momentarily consuming his entire being. _Jealousy_. It felt like a beast had awoken inside of him, snarling and growling, trying to claw its way out.

He clenched his teeth together so hard it hurt. He hated it, he hated seeing her with someone else. It was stupid, he knew it. She wasn't his to be jealous over.

His insides quivered with frustration and desperation. He forced himself to tear his eyes away from her, glancing at his watch.

_It's almost time._

He turned around and walked away.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Daario thanked Dany as the song ended, and mercifully walked away.

Missy and Grey materialized by her side, Missy giving her a gentle smile.

The Winter Wolves launched into a few fast songs again and Dany happily danced and jumped around together with her friends, happiness bubbling inside her at the music and the presence of her friends around her.

The redhead, Sansa, approached the microphone again.

"Thank you guys, we are so happy to be here tonight," she smiled and paused as the crowd applauded excitedly.

"For our last song, we have a surprise for you, we do hope you'll enjoy it."

Dany, Missy, and Grey cheered along with everyone, caught up in the atmosphere of the moment, which felt purely magical. 

Margaery finally came back to stand next to them, Dickon trailing behind her. He looked dazed still.

The stage darkened completely so that none of the band members was visible.

Then a single light came on, Sansa standing in the pool of light, wielding a violin. The first notes of a haunting melody played, and Dany clutched Missy's hand in excitement.

The drums joined to give the music some beat, Dany felt every note reverberating deep inside of her. It was beautiful.

The violin music ended in a flourish and there was momentary silence.

Then the violin was joined by an electric guitar and the light expanded to reveal... _Jon_. Dany gave an audible gasp as her mouth dropped open in shock. She heard Missy and Marg gasp in unison next to her.

Jon Snow was standing on stage, wearing black jeans and a tight black t-shirt. His direwolf tattoo seemed to come to life as the strong muscles in his biceps rippled with the movement of his arms. His fingers manipulated the guitar like he's been doing it all his life.

And then he started singing and Dany's heart stopped completely.

_🎶 I hate feeling like this  
I'm so tired of tryin' to fight this  
I'm asleep and all I dream of is waking to you 🎶_

Dany felt like her breath left her body entirely. She was dimly aware of the crowd screaming itself hoarse around her, of Marg's hand clutching her arm in shock.

"Holy _FUCK_ ," Marg breathed in her ear, mouth agape, staring wide-eyed at the stage.

_🎶 Tell me that you will listen  
Your touch is what I'm missin'  
And the more I hide I realize I'm slowly losin' you 🎶_

He had a smoky, seductive voice and at that moment, he looked larger than life. A heavier drum beat joined in, but Jon was all Dany could hear, all she could see.

_🎶 Comatose  
I'll never wake up without an overdose  
of you 🎶_

And then he was looking straight at her and everything else ceased to exist. The room was suddenly empty, and it was just the two of them.

_🎶 I don't wanna live  
I don't wanna breathe  
'less I feel you next to me  
You take the pain I feel  
Wakin' up to you never felt so real 🎶_

It felt like her heart was beating somewhere outside her body and she couldn't take her eyes off him. He was the entire world, everything else fading into nothing.

_🎶 I don't wanna sleep  
I don't wanna dream  
Cause my dreams don't comfort me  
The way you make me feel  
Wakin' up to you never felt so real 🎶_

Did he cast a spell on her? She sure felt like she was under a spell. A strange, wonderful, terrifying spell.

_🎶 Breathing life  
Waking up  
My eyes  
Open up 🎶_

Jon's eyes dropped back to his guitar for a few seconds for the instrumental part and it was as though a spell broke and Dany was brought back to reality, the crowd's screams suddenly loud in her ears.

_🎶 The way you make me feel  
Wakin' up to you never felt so real 🎶_

When the song reached its conclusion, the crowd lost its mind, the screams and cheers reaching a deafening pitch. Dany was about ninety percent sure somebody tossed their panties in Jon's general direction.

The Winter Wolves thanked the crowd again and walked off the stage, Jon vanishing along with them.

Dany became aware of Marg's hand still clutching her arm.

"By all the Gods, that was the hottest thing I've ever seen in my entire life," Marg said in awe.

"Somebody tossed their panties at Jon, did you see?" asked Missy, giggling giddily, cheeks pink, her arms wrapped around Grey's shoulders.

"Wish I could, but I'm not wearing any," pouted Marg.

Beside her, Dickon choked on his drink.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_I have to find him._

Dany snuck out of the great hall, making some excuse about needing to use the toilet.

She didn't know where to even start looking for him, but she just had to see him. She didn't know what possessed her, probably the wine, but she had to see, she had to know...

_I must be losing my damn mind._

After searching fruitlessly for almost fifteen minutes, she stopped in a dark hallway to lean against a wall, taking a few deep breaths. 

She could try a locator spell but her wand was back in her dorm. She was just about to head towards the Gryffindor tower when a soft voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Are you lost?" Jon stepped out of the shadows, still in his black tee and jeans, holding a tumbler full of amber liquid.

Dany swallowed hard, heart beating frantically. Somehow, something had led her there. To him. They just stared at each other for a few moments. She could feel the tension in the air, so thick it was almost tangible.

"You-you sing beautifully," she whispered in a shaky voice.

He watched her, his eyes dark, resembling his direwolf-self. She thought she could almost see a feral red glint in them. He exhaled slowly, "the song was meant for someone."

Dany couldn't move, couldn't breathe, she had to know.

"Who was it meant for?" she asked in a whisper, voice trembling, knowing she wouldn't be able to bear it if he pushed her away now.

She hesitantly stepped forward, coming to stand so close to him she could almost feel his warm breath on her skin. 

He snapped his fingers and the tumbler disappeared.  
He was silent for so long, his eyes searching hers, that Dany was beginning to panic, thinking she misunderstood, thinking her heart might just crack in her chest. 

She was just about to step back when he snaked out an arm and wrapped it around her waist.

"Don't you know?" he whispered, tugging her to him.

His hands stilled. He was standing silently, waiting. She knew what he was doing, he was giving her ample opportunity to stop him, to step back, to stop the madness. She wasn't going to. Not anymore. She could no more move away from him than she could stop breathing.

She could see it now, the truth in his eyes, but he said it anyway.

"It's all for you, Dany."

_No way back now._

She wasn't sure who moved first, who was the one to close the remaining distance between them. Maybe both of them. All she knew was that her lips were suddenly pressed to his. 

And the world tilted on its axis.

His lips were soft, so soft, just like she imagined. His kiss hot and demanding by contrast.

Her arms moved of their own volition, wrapping around his neck. She stood on tip-toe, trying to press as close to him as humanly possible. Her chest flush against his, she was sure he could feel her thundering heartbeat. He made a rough noise in the back of his throat, almost like a growl, and pressed her back against the wall.

His hands travelled from her waist up to the back of her neck and then to frame her face softly. His thumbs caressed her cheeks, applying very light pressure as he angled her face slightly upwards. Her lips parted in a gasp as his tongue snaked inside her mouth, kissing her deeply.

She slid her hands from around his neck to rest on his chest. Her hands caressing and rubbing the strong muscles. He trembled under her touch.

She should be freaked out. _I'm kissing a teacher. I have my hands on his chest and his tongue in my mouth._

One of his hands remained on her face, caressing her cheek so tenderly she thought she might cry from the force of emotions that coursed through her at the gentle touch. His other hand slid slowly down her back. So excruciatingly slow... it finally came to rest against her bottom and he suddenly tightened his hold, pressing her flush against his body.

She felt like her entire body was engulfed in flames, a wave of lust hitting her like a tidal wave. Her mind was swimming, barely able to process what was happening. Her hips were moving now, desperately grinding against him. She felt his body responding to hers, felt him growing hard against her frantic movements.

Then, in one swift movement, he pulled his lips away from her. Her lips followed his blindly, missing their pressure against hers. But he maintained the distance, breathing hard, his forehead resting against hers, hands sliding back to her waist.

She stopped as well, trying to catch her breath, hands still flat on his chest.

They just stayed this way for a while. It could be mere seconds, or maybe a lifetime, Dany wasn't sure. But eventually, Jon composed himself enough to raise his head, eyes staring into hers.

Dany raised a shaky hand to caress his bearded cheek and he shuddered, catching her hand in his.

"We shouldn't be doing this," he murmured.

"I'm of age."

"You're my student."

"Your body doesn't seem to mind. And nor do I."

Jon exhaled slowly and his hands slid to his sides, carefully moving away from her. 

He stepped back to lean his back against the wall, leaning his head back, closing his eyes momentarily. 

Dany bit her lower lip, still tasting him on her lips. He tasted like peppermint and Firewhiskey and something else that made her head positively spin.

"You should go back to the ball," he said quietly, not looking at her.

"I don't care about the ball," she said bluntly, "I am where I want to be." She had no idea what made her so bold. She felt drunk on the combination of wine and him and she was craving more of the latter.

He didn't say anything, just stood there, regarding her silently. He was mostly composed now, but she could still feel it, the undercurrent of lust, the magnetic pull.

She moved slowly towards him, intent on kissing him again. He wasn't moving away or telling her to leave. Just looking at her with his maddening gray eyes, still darkened by lust.

They both suddenly froze when they heard laughter somewhere nearby. Some obviously drunk students giggling and singing.

_This is probably not the time nor the place._

Dany sighed, coming to a realisation that nothing more was going to happen between them tonight.

"Good night, then," she murmured and turned to leave when his hand suddenly closed gently around her wrist. She turned to look at him, skin tingling at his touch.

"You look gorgeous tonight," he whispered. Then he removed his hand and walked away.

Dany stared after his retreating form for a moment, admiring the view, then turned and walked towards her own dormitory, thinking to herself that Marg has a point. 

_His arse should definitely win some kind of an award._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


It was past midnight. Dany opened the door to the Gryffindor tower to find the common room deserted. The older students were obviously still at the ball, and the younger students were probably all asleep.

She went up to her room, not surprised to find it still empty. Missandei was apparently still at the ball along with everyone else.

Dany sat on her bed and kicked off her shoes, laying back on top of the covers, staring at the dark red canopy above.

Her mind was still haywire, still trying to comprehend if tonight actually happened or whether it was just a product of wishful thinking and vivid imagination.

Except, she could still taste Jon's lips faintly on her tongue, feel the impression of his hands upon her skin. She could close her eyes and recall the look in his gray eyes when she stepped towards him in that shadowy corridor. And then he kissed her ( _or did I kiss him first?_ ), and she just knew that nothing would ever be the same again.

He came to his senses at some point, but now she knew. She knew she wasn't alone in this, that he could also feel that magnetic force pulling them together.

And she knew that neither of them would be able to stay away for long.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon entered his office and slammed the door behind him.

_I crossed the line. I strayed so far from the fucking line, it's not even a speck on the horizon._

He could still see her in his mind's away, wearing that dress, looking at him with so much fucking _awe_ in her eyes, like he was the only thing in the world.

He was utterly powerless to resist. He couldn't fight the _pull_ , that mystical force that drew him to her, made him abandon all reason, making rational thought fly out the window.

He was grateful he managed to somehow (he still wasn't sure how) wrench himself away, stop before things escalated and reached a point of no return. He knew he veered dangerously close to that point tonight.

He could still feel her in his arms, soft body pressed against his. The desire to tear every stitch of clothing off her body and bury himself within her was overwhelming. And she would've let him. He knew she would. He could see it in her eyes, taste it in her kiss.

He had to apologise to her. For almost making a colossal mistake. For indulging himself in something that should never have happened. He resolved to find her and apologise at the first opportunity.

Although... if he were honest with himself, he knew they had already gone too far. He was powerless to stop what he, in his heart of hearts, knew was coming.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.. that was that.
> 
> Music Inspiration for this chapter:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q9-g42nSew
> 
> Fun fact, the Yule Ball scene was one of the very first I've written for this story (and that was months ago!). The story kind of took shape around that.  
> Depending on how you look at it, it may or may not be super-cheesy, but... I love it. And I hope you do too.
> 
> Also, my beta reader deserves another huge thank you. The Ball scene was mostly untouched (he's not much for the lovey-dovey parts..), but everything else in this story was made so much better by him. LOVE YOU, HONEY!
> 
> Another small question for you guys- I'm very interested in knowing what are everyone's favorite parts of the chapter are (not specifically for this chapter, in general). It helps to know what parts are good and what I need to work on. Answer if you like.
> 
> And as usual, comments and kudos are super-appreciated.
> 
> Hope you're all having a fantastic holiday season!


	8. Just like Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year everyone!
> 
> I hope you've all had a fantastic holiday season.
> 
> So first- an apology for those of you dying to know Jon's exact age. It was supposed to be in this chapter, but the chapter was split in two after my beta pointed out some things in it that didn't quite make sense, which prompted a rewrite of some parts. So y'all will have to wait for the next chapter.
> 
> I should really stop promising things, huh...
> 
> On the upside, it means you're getting this one earlier than you would've otherwise since part two needs a bit more work.
> 
> And now... let's turn up the heat 🔥🔥🔥!
> 
> Enjoy!

  


Dany woke up the next morning, content to stay in bed for a few minutes more. She had been replaying last night's events in her mind over and over again, marveling at the memory of Jon's soft lips, the taste of his tongue in her mouth, his hard body pressed against hers... she shivered, desire coursing through her body again at the memory.

_I kissed Jon Snow..._

In the bed next to hers, Missandei was still sound asleep, having gotten back around three in the morning from the ball the night before. Dany had pretended to be asleep, wanting to be alone with her thoughts for a little while longer.

She was also trying to work out what to tell her friends when they undoubtedly would ask her where she disappeared to after leaving the ball.

She had no intention of telling anyone about last night's encounter. She knew how it would look if things got out, if people found out. He could lose his job, which she absolutely didn't want to risk. But she also had no intention of staying away from him, now that she knew he felt the same.

The thought made her giddy. _He feels the same._ It hadn't been just wishful thinking, hadn't been just her imagination. The crackle of electricity in the air when they touched, the irresistible pull, the way the world seemed to disappear when they were alone together. _He feels it too._

About an hour later, Missandei finally stirred, raising her head from the pillow, looking around, bleary-eyed.

"Morning," she yawned widely, "what time is it?"

Dany glanced at her phone which was laying on her nightstand, "After ten, we should get to breakfast if we don't wanna miss it. When did you get in last night?"

"I have no idea, sometime after two, I think," Missy frowned suddenly, "where did you disappear to? You just vanished after the Winter Wolves concert."

Dany shrugged in feigned nonchalance, "Nowhere special, I went outside to get some air, and just went to bed eventually... I was just so tired," she added since Missy was still frowning at her suspiciously.

Missy eventually shrugged and slowly climbed out of bed to get ready for breakfast.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


They went down to the great hall, going to sit beside Margaery and Loras who were already at the table, looking as though they weren't completely awake yet.

"Good m-m-morning," said Marg, yawning hugely, "you girls sleep ok?"

"Ok, not enough," shrugged Missy, reaching for the tea kettle, tapping it with her wand to make it boil instantly.

"Where did you disappear to last night, Dany?"

Dany repeated the lie she told Missy, which Marg accepted with no more than a nod and an "oh". To Dany's relief, she seemed too tired to try and get any more details out of her.

After reviving a bit over a few cups of coffee, toast smothered with butter and jam, and fresh strawberries, Loras put down his coffee cup and leaned forward in his seat.

"So are we going to talk about the fact that Jon Snow is a literal rock star?"

"He was great, wasn't he?" agreed Missy.

"Hells, yes!" exclaimed Marg, "how the fuck did he end up singing with The Winter Wolves?"

Dany could feel her friends' eyes on her and scowled at them, "How would I know?"

Marg nudged her shoulder playfully, "What did you think of him?"

"He was really good," Dany mumbled, silently cursing her pinkening cheeks. _Damn you, Jon Snow._

"Come on, Dany," said Marg with a sly smile, "tell us what you really think."

Dany rolled her eyes at her, "It was fucking hot, alright? I have eyes."

Marg wolf-whistled as Loras and Missy laughed, Dany shaking her head in exasperation.

After raving for a while about Jon Snow and his, as Marg aptly described it, "panty-dropping singing voice", they started discussing their plans for the holidays.

Tomorrow was to be the last day of classes before Christmas eve and the start of the Christmas vacation.

Margaery and Loras were heading home to Highgarden for Christmas while Dany and Missy were planning to stay at The Academy.

"I wish we could stay here with you guys," whined Marg, "grandmother is making us attend this Christmas Formal she's hosting and it's always so incredibly boring. Nothing but batty old wizards in pompous dress-robes and boring discussions about the Iron Bank..."

"At least the booze is top-notch," said Loras morosely, "hopefully grandmother won't notice if we spend most of the event wasted." 

"Have you met our grandmother?"

Missy giggled and patted Margaery's hand, "Don't worry, you'll be back here before you know it."

"So what are you girls planning to do?" asked Marg

"Hmm, not sure," said Missy thoughtfully, "catch up on some sleep, maybe practice some battle magic... perhaps we could go to Blackwater again on Christmas Day," she suggested, "what do you think, Dany?"

"Yeah, sounds like fun," Dany smiled, "it's always beautiful there during the holidays."

They spent the rest of the morning discussing holiday plans, Marg cheering up slightly when Missy promised they would all go to Blackwater together when they were all back in the castle.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Monday morning came and it was time for their last Defence Against the Dark Arts class of the term.  
Dany's heartbeat was picking up speed as approached the classroom, nervous and excited to see Jon again.

She hadn't seen him since the night of the Yule ball. He was mysteriously absent at mealtimes and she had a sneaking suspicion he was avoiding her.

Dany entered the classroom along with Missy and Loras and they took their seats.

She tried to catch Jon's eye but his gaze was trained on the opposite wall, at some invisible spot above her head. He was leaning against the whiteboard, waiting in silence until the last of the students filed into the room and took their seats.

Jon stepped forward and the class silenced instantly.

"As this is the last lesson of the term, it's time for you to show me what you've learned."

Jon tapped his desk with his wand, and a stack of papers that were neatly arranged on top of it flew into the air, coming to rest one in front each of the students.

There was a collective groan when everybody realized this was a test.

Jon raised an eyebrow at them, "it really shouldn't come as a surprise," he said drily, "I'll be calling each of you individually during the test to demonstrate your ability to use a spell you've learned this year," he continued. He glanced at his watch, "You can start... now."

Everybody hurried to pull quills out of their bags and buried their heads in the sheets of paper in front of them.

Dany lowered her eyes to the paper to read the first question.

> _1\. Describe, in detail, the wand gesture and the incantation used to cast the Flaming Arrows spell._

Dany smiled to herself and started writing.

The minutes ticked by. Jon was standing in the wide empty space in the back of the class, going through the list of names alphabetically, testing students individually.

Eventually, Dany heard his voice say, "Miss Targaryen, step over here, please."

She dropped her quill on the desk, grabbed her wand and made her way to the back of the class.

She finally met his eyes. He glanced at her momentarily, his gaze shuttered, and said quietly, "Cast a Power Barrier for me, please."

Dany stepped back slightly, raising her wand. She waved her wand in an arc and the barrier appeared, emitting a dull golden glow.

"Larger," Jon instructed, gaze focused on her shield.

Dany gritted her teeth and widened the shield. She fought to keep it up, biting her lip in concentration. 

It was distracting, standing so close to him. She could feel it still... the strong pull, like the needle of a compass to the magnetic North. It was all she could do to keep her attention on the spell and not on his disorienting presence.

"Hold it..." Jon murmured, eyes still turned away from her. Another minute passed, Dany could feel herself beginning to perspire, shaking slightly with the effort.

"Good," said Jon eventually and she dropped her hand, the barrier vanishing instantly, "you can take your seat back now."

Dany returned to her seat, passing by Brienne, who was the next person to get tested. She was feeling vaguely irked. _I guess we can't really talk in a roomful of students,_ she thought gloomily, picking up her quill to finish the written exam.

When the lesson drew to an end, Jon tapped his desk again, and all the exam papers rose in the air to re-form the neat pile on his desk.

Everybody stood up and noisily packed their belongings.

Jon cleared his throat, "Miss Targaryen, a word, please."

Missy and Loras raised their eyebrows at her.

"What did you do?" Missy whispered.

Dany shrugged and told them she'd see them at lunch.  
Her heartbeat was speeding up again. She waited patiently until everybody filed out of the class and then lifted her gaze to Jon, eyes narrowed.

He was regarding her silently, expression blank.

"What can I do for you... professor?" she asked, slowly walking towards him.

He cleared his throat again, leaning on his desk with palms flat against it.

"I wanted to apologize to you, Daenerys," he said quietly, "I crossed a line the other night, I never should have done what I did."

"Never should have kissed me, you mean?" she raised an eyebrow, "never should have touched me?" she continued, still walking slowly in his direction, "never should have pinned me to the wall and placed your hands on-"

"All of it," he interrupted, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. He sighed, pushing away from the desk and running his hand through his hair nervously. Dany saw it was shaking slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, head bowed.

"I'm not."

His head snapped back up to look at her.

She came to face him, standing barely a foot away.

"I wanted to touch you and kiss you," she murmured, "and I'm going to do it again."

And she left the classroom, feeling his gaze almost burning a hole in her back.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany joined her friends at the lunch table, reaching for a pasta salad and loading up her plate.

"So what was that all about?" asked Missy, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Nothing, he just wanted a word about the exam," Dany invented, hoping her cheeks weren't giving her up by turning pink again.

Missy, thankfully, didn't press the issue. The conversation turned to the Defence exam, Loras bemoaning that his Barrier Ward wasn't as strong as it was the last time he had cast it.

At dinner the same evening, Grey walked up to their table, "Missandei, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Of course," she smiled at him and followed him a few paces away from the table. She came back a few minutes later, faces flushed, a shy smile on her face.

Marg silently raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"He invited me to come with him to his parents' house for Christmas vacation," she said sheepishly, smile widening, "but don't worry, Dany," she said earnestly, "I told him I'll be staying here with you for the holidays."

"You'll do no such thing," announced Dany.

"I'm not leaving you here alone during _Christmas_!"

"I won't be alone. A lot of students are staying and so is the headmaster," Dany reminded her. _And so is Jon Snow, but I'm not going to mention that._

"I would still feel bad leaving you here during the holidays, Dany," Missy said anxiously, "are you sure about this?"

"Of course I'm sure, Missy," Dany clasped her hand and squeezed warmly, "go hang out with your boyfriend's parents, they're gonna love you."

"if you're sure..."

"I am," Dany smiled, genuinely happy for her.

"I'll go find Grey and tell him," Missy grinned happily and dashed from the table to go look for him.

"You can come with us to Highgarden, sweetie," said Marg warmly, Loras nodding in agreement by her side.

"That's ok, Marg," Dany smiled gratefully at her, "I think I prefer having a quiet vacation here over spending time at your grandmother's Christmas Extravaganza."

"You and me both," groaned Marg, resting her forehead on the table. 

"You got to make her believe _you_ are doing _her_ a favour, sis," Loras patted Marg's head consolingly, "practice that poker face," he added.

Dany giggled when Marg raised her head to shoot Loras a dirty look.

Despite her words to Marg, the real reason Dany was keen on staying in The Academy for the holiday vacation was that she knew Jon was staying as well.

And she had a plan.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Missy wrapped her arms tightly around Dany, "I can't believe we won't be spending Christmas eve together," she said sadly.

"I'll be fine, Missy, I promise," Dany smiled, hugging her back, "I'm looking forward to the feast, actually."

And she really was, but from a different reason than what her friends probably imagined.

Dany hugged Marg and Loras goodbye as well and waved them off when they rushed to the train, which was already waiting at the station.

Once the train disappeared into the mist, Dany went back inside the castle, feeling just a tiny pang of melancholy to be without her friends for the Christmas vacation for the first time since she'd met them.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon grudgingly pulled on a suit. Davos had insisted on formal wear for the Christmas feast, claiming that it made for a more festive atmosphere.

Jon didn't know why a formal attire was essential when all he was going to do was spend an evening with the few teachers and students that were staying in The Academy for the holidays. He thought it best to humour Davos though, the headmaster was already cross with him for never wearing wizard's robes during class.

He also knew that Dany will be there since he saw her waving her friends off at the train station. He wondered how come she wasn't spending the holidays with her family as well, hoping everything was ok at home.

_Dany._

He wasn't sure when he started thinking of her as 'Dany' instead of Daenerys.

The last words she said to him still lingered in his mind.

_I wanted to touch you and kiss you... and I'm going to do it again._

He swore under his breath and raked his hand through his hair.

_I'm in so much trouble._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon entered the great hall, greeting Davos and Tyrion who were already seated at the long table, and nodding in greeting to the students that were already there. Dany was nowhere to be seen.

The food looked as magnificent as always. The long table was heaped with delicious-looking dishes, fat stuffed turkeys, large bowls of gravy, potatoes, salads and Christmas pudding.

Jon took a seat next to Tyrion, across from Davos who insisted they'd sit among the students for the Christmas feast to make for a more casual atmosphere.

Jon was just taking a sip from the goblet of wine that Tyrion had kindly poured him when he raised his eyes and nearly choked. Dany had just stepped into the great hall.

She was wearing a dress that Jon decided ought to be outlawed. It was black and floor-length, had a plunging neckline and two slits at the sides, exposing the pale, smooth skin of her legs.

"Merry Christmas, headmaster, Professor Lannister, Professor Snow," she said brightly.

Davos and Tyrion greeted her back genially, but Jon merely nodded, not trusting himself to utter any words at that moment.

She casually took a seat to his right, making herself comfortable, crossing one leg on top of the other. It wasn't visible to anyone else, but, sitting next to her, he could see the silky fabric slipping down to expose her leg up to her thigh.

She smiled at him innocently, although he knew she was anything but.

He groaned inwardly. 

_This is going to be a very long evening..._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_She's going be the death of me._

Jon spent the entire meal trying to ignore Daenerys' presence by his side. It proved to be impossible.

She seemed innocent and proper to everyone else, engaging in polite conversations with the members of the staff and other students, smiling and chatting and humming along to the Christmas carols which were playing in the background.

But what was actually going on, unbeknownst to everyone else, was something else entirely.

She occasionally leaned closer to him, under the pretence of reaching for her goblet, taking the opportunity to press her bare leg against him.

On several occasions, she sweetly asked him to pass her a dish beyond her reach, letting her fingertips graze against his when he handed it to her.

At one point, she actually dropped a piece of fruit down her dress (it was no accident, he was sure of it), and then reached her fingers inside her cleavage to retrieve it.

He nearly choked on his wine at that point, coughing and spattering so much that everybody at the table stopped eating and stared, Davos finally asking if he was alright.

_I'm so far from alright._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Eventually, having eaten hardly anything, Jon pushed his plate away and climbed to his feet. He nodded to the headmaster and Tyrion and murmured 'good night' to no one in particular.

He gave the tiniest of glances in Dany's direction and she was startled to see the fire in his eyes. He then stalked off, vanishing behind the corner.

Dany tapped her fingers nervously on the table, wondering when she could get up without raising suspicion. She could almost swear Tyrion was giving her an odd look.  
Eventually, she got up, bade everyone good night and tried not to walk too quickly in the same direction Jon had disappeared in.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


He was standing by the entrance to a disused room, just off the main corridor. His eyes followed her darkly as she approached. 

Dany entered the room and he followed, shutting the door with a snap behind him.

They squared-off facing each other. Dany with a slightly amused quirk of her eyebrow, Jon narrowing his eyes at her.

"Care to explain what that was at the feast just now?" he asked in a low voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied innocently, hands delicately smoothing down her dress.  
She was clearly intent on driving him insane.

"If anything," she continued, "I should wonder why you chose to bring me here."

He looked at her questioningly, not comprehending.

"Here... a closed room... alone with you," she clarified, smiling innocently. She was anything but.

_Two can play that game._

He stalked slowly towards her, invading her personal space. She was forced to walk backwards until her back was pressed to the wall.

In a lightning-quick movement, he slammed his hands against the wall, on either side of her head. She swallowed and he could hear her breathing quicken. Her lashes fluttered delicately, gaze alternating between his eyes and his lips.

He brought his mouth to her ear, and she couldn't suppress a soft moan when his hot breath brushed against her earlobe.

"Is this what you want?" he growled in her ear, pushing closer to her. One of his hands left the wall to tangle in her hair, angle her face so she was staring right into his dark eyes.

"And what if it is?" she whispered in response. She slid a hand up, fingernails lightly scratching his chest before grabbing a fistful of his shirt.

For an instant, his eyes gleamed red before turning back to their usual storm-gray.

"Dany..." he warned, "you're playing with fire."

_No. You are._

He barely even registered what happened. The hand that was still at her side curled around her wand, there was a momentary flash and suddenly he was lying flat on his back on the floor. Dany was straddling him, her wand pointed at his throat.

He was momentarily stunned. And he was becoming intensely aroused in spite of himself. She looked gorgeous sitting on top of him, face flushed pink, fire in her eyes.

"Professor Snow," she drawled, "how on earth could you not sense this magic coming? Need a refresher on Sensory Magic?" she smirked, "My Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher would call that _abysmal_."

He was breathing hard now, drunk with lust and the feel of her. And he could feel his control slipping. She was fucking impossible to resist.

"So, what are you planning to do with that wand?" he asked conversationally, "You shouldn't point it if you don't intend to use it."

"Hmm, I haven't decided yet," she said thoughtfully, now tracing the wand slowly across his chest, "I guess I could hex you if I want," she leered at him, "but then again... maybe I don't need a wand for what I want to do to you." 

And with that, she flung the wand over her shoulder, leaned down and closed her teeth around his lower lip, biting hard enough to draw blood.

Jon jerked in surprise under her, yelping at the sudden pain. She sat back up, a feral look in her eyes.

"The question is, Jon Snow," she whispered, "what do _you_ want?"

And just like that, his control snapped.

With a growl and one fluid movement, he had her under him, his hands closed around her wrists, pinning her to the ground. His mind was so addled by lust he could barely see straight.

A tiny clearer part of his mind screamed at him not to take her on the floor like so. He scrambled to his feet, pulling himself up, one arm wrapped around her waist, bringing her to stand alongside him.

He raised his arm, eyes closed and palm open, summoning her discarded wand, which flew into his hand. He waved it in a figure-eight pattern and they both vanished and reappeared with a faint 'pop' inside his chambers.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he growled in her ear, voice menacing and thick with lust.

"Shut up and kiss me already," she whispered, her voice and eyes giving him all the reassurance he needed.

  


🔥🔥🔥

  


_Just like fire, burning out the way  
If I can light the world up for just one day  
Watch this madness, colorful charade  
No one can be just like me anyway_

_Just like magic, I'll be flying free  
I'mma disappear when they come for me  
I kick that ceiling, what you gonna say?  
No one can be just like me anyway  
Just like fire_

  


🔥🔥🔥

  


_Shut up and kiss me already. ___

So he did. 

His mouth descended on hers, hungry and demanding, not holding back. His tongue pushed roughly against her lips and she opened them with a gasp, letting it slip into her mouth.  
His hands slid over her exposed back, caressing it with possessive strokes.  
His lips slid downwards, leaving a trail of fire on her sensitive neck, then sliding back up to press against hers. 

Dany moved her trembling hands to frantically divest him of his suit jacket, letting it fall to the floor. She clawed against his shirt next, trying to wrestle it off of him. With a frustrated groan, Jon tore it open, sending buttons flying everywhere. It was unceremoniously tossed to the floor to lay beside his discarded jacket. 

She ran her hands greedily over his newly exposed back and then his chest. Her fingers stilled as they encountered rough scar tissue.  
She wrenched her lips from his to glance down and couldn't stop an audible gasp from escaping her lips. 

Seven scars marred his otherwise perfect chest.  
She brought her gaze back to his. His eyes were still darkened by lust, but there was something more in them now. A spark of hesitation, of vulnerability. 

_Later. Questions can come later._

She brought her mouth back to his, roughly kissing him, wanting him to know nothing would stop her now. He returned her kiss hungrily, all traces of hesitation having melted away, his hands sliding down her body. She felt his hand caress the skin of her inner thigh, moving teasingly close to her throbbing center. She moaned softly, legs trembling, urging him on. 

Jon manoeuvered her slowly until her back was flush against the wall. Dany raised her leg quickly to wrap it around his waist. 

Now that their bodies were so close, she could feel him. Hard and insistent beneath his pants. She groaned and pressed herself closer, beginning to rub against him frantically, an action that made a wolfish growl emanate from deep in his throat. 

He allowed her movements for a couple more seconds, and then locked his hand around her ankle, pulling it from around his waist. Her confusion lasted only a moment as he knelt in front of her, bringing the back of her thigh to rest on his shoulder. 

He pushed the bottom part of her dress out of his way, pressing his hot mouth to her thigh, pausing to lightly scrape his teeth against her damp skin. She trembled in need and anticipation as his mouth moved, so so slowly.. until his hot breath fluttered against the fabric of her panties. 

"J-Jon," his name was half-whisper, half-plea from her lips, a trembling hand coming to brace against his shoulder. 

His eyes, now as dark as onyxes, burned into hers, and with one quick flick of his wrist, he tore her panties clean off, tossing them unceremoniously over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off of her. 

Then, without a warning, he lowered his head and pressed his tongue inside her. 

Dany emitted a piercing cry as a wave of pleasure hit her, strong as an ocean wave in a storm. Her legs were trembling so badly she was sure she would collapse to the floor if it wasn't for Jon's strong hands. 

Those hands now held her thighs, pressing them back to the wall, his tongue deep inside her, caressing her intimately with slow strokes. She moved with frenzy, in tune with the movements of his tongue, her eyes closed, his name escaping her lips in a breathless gasp every time he touched a particularly sensitive spot. 

Dany felt the pressure building up, coiling in her stomach. _So close..._ And then, Jon's right hand left her thigh and his thumb pressed roughly against her most sensitive spot. She saw stars behind her eyes as she exploded in his arms, crying out his name. His tongue kept moving inside her as her body quivered with the aftershocks. 

Dany barely had time to catch her breath when he rose to his feet, lifted her trembling body easily, and carried her to his bed. She could hear his heavy breathing and knew he was just as crazed with lust as she was. 

She felt her body being pressed into a soft mattress, delightfully pinned under his hard body. His lips pressed to hers again with a passionate kiss. She kissed him back just as hard, her tongue battling with his, their teeth scraping with almost bruising intensity. 

His mouth moved down to her neck, kissing and nibbling, his beard scraped the sensitive skin, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. 

Dany could feel Jon's hands brush over her breasts through the thin fabric of her dress, and her nipples hardened with lust. She only noticed that she was completely naked when her torn dress hit the floor. 

Jon was still kissing her neck as his hands started kneading her breasts, his touch rough and needy. She moaned loudly, begging him to continue. Her moans triggered something in him, his eyes gleaming red as his teeth tightened on her neck causing momentary pain that was soon lost in a haze of lust that clouded her brain. 

Jon now concentrating on her achingly hard nipples, pulling at them with his fingertips, licking them with his hot tongue, nearly driving her mad with desire. He then stopped, his hand resting slightly against her breast, breathing heavily. 

"Jon, please," she begged, hands coming to clutch his curls, gripping painfully hard. 

"Please...what?" he asked, his voice simultaneously whisper-soft and darkly dangerous. 

"Don't stop." 

In a lightning-quick move, Jon bent and fastened his mouth around one breast, then the other, suckling roughly. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pressing his hardness closer to her. After a few more seconds, he emitted a snarl, tearing himself away from the bed. She looked at him with lust-clouded eyes when he swiftly pushed his pants and underwear off. She had but an instant to admire his magnificent body before he moved back on top of her. 

She could feel him against her, hot as fire and hard as a rock against her wet center. Her body started moving, grinding against him, commanding him silently to continue. 

A groan escaped his lips, "Dany..." He could barely hold himself back anymore. He looked into her eyes, searching for something... permission, affirmation. The heated, half-crazed look in her eyes made it clear that she craved this, just as much as he did. 

Jon's knee slid up, parting her thighs, and then in one slow, deliberate move, he slid inside her, burying himself to the hilt. Dany's mouth opened in a silent scream at the sudden sensation. Her heart was thundering, every single body part on fire. 

He started moving then, starting slow and picking up the pace. Dany wrapped her legs around his waist as she felt the pressure building. 

She clutched his shoulders with trembling hands, completely lost in the sensation. She was hurtling towards the edge again at breakneck speed, and then, just before she toppled over it, she heard his hoarse voice, thick with desire, "Open your eyes, Dany." 

She forced her eyes open to look into his and, for a moment, it's as though the world was standing still. The feeling overwhelmed her, the feeling of finally finding something she didn't even know she was looking for. The key to a lock, the missing piece of the puzzle. 

His hand snaked down between them... searching, finding... And then the wave hit and she screamed with the pleasure and intensity of it, tightening her legs around him like a vice, her eyes rolling back in her head. 

Jon kept moving, faster and faster, growling in pleasure when he felt Dany starting to shiver again... and she exploded for the third time that night, her nails raking down his back so hard that she felt sure she would give him a set of scars on his back to match the ones on his chest. 

He toppled over the edge a mere second after she did, his body tensing, eyes glinting red then sliding shut with bliss. 

They collapsed in a tangle of limbs, sweaty, breathless, speechless. 

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_Just like fire, burning out the way  
If I can light the world up for just one day..._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! I hope I justified this story's "E" rating with this chapter ^^ (there will be some more of that somewhere later on).
> 
> Music in this chapter:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V0QRSkWNHU (because this is way better than the original(s). True story.)  
> If you haven't noticed- the name for this chapter AND work were taken from this.
> 
> Comments kudos etc youknowthedrill...


	9. Burning Out the Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'lo again,
> 
> So first of all, I wanted to say THANK YOU, dear readers, for all the lovely comments you left on the previous chapter. It was, by far, the one most important to me so far and it made me so happy you liked it 😍  
> I even included a bonus scene that I never planned for in this upcoming chapter ^^ because you guys are awesome.
> 
> And let me tell you, this chapter was difficult to write. Or more accurately, difficult to get to a version of it that I liked (especially following an explosive chapter like the previous one). 
> 
> And now, to the aftermath,
> 
> Enjoy!

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_Just like fire, burning out the way  
If I can light the world up for just one day..._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon opened his eyes, slowly coming back to life. He glanced sideways at the beautiful woman curled around him, sleeping soundly.

_So last night wasn't a particularly vivid sex-dream after all._

They'd had each other last night. Multiple times. His sore muscles could attest to that. And if his body's reaction was any indication, it was ready for yet another round.

He closed his eyes and tried to breathe evenly, willing his unruly body to calm down. _Nope, not working._ If anything, his traitorous body seemed to come more awake every second it was pressed against hers. A few more moments and he wouldn't be able to resist her addictive presence any longer.

So he gently extricated himself from her warm embrace, quietly heading towards the bathroom, snagging a pair of jeans slung on the back of a chair on his way.

Moments later, he was standing under the cold stream of water, hands braced against the wall, head slightly bowed.

_I've really done it now._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany blinked, slowly waking up.

It was morning, but only just. A few weak rays of sun shone through the window, giving the room an ethereal quality. She replayed last night's events in her mind.

After the first time she and Jon collapsed together, sweaty bodies tangled up around each other, she fell into a coma-like sleep. But not for long. She remembered waking up what felt like a few hours later, it was still pitch-dark except for the blazing fire in the hearth.  
She woke up to the sensation of Jon's hungry kisses on her neck, his rock hard body pressing against her back, hand wrapping around her waist. She remembered reaching her hand back, fingers tangling in his hair, bringing his mouth to hers for an equally hungry kiss, his clever hand sliding down her body, making her gasp as pleasure coursed through her yet again.

Then at the crack of dawn, when the light from outside had barely begun to intrude on the night, she woke up again. This time to find him sound asleep. His face, usually so guarded and stoic during class, sweetly relaxed in sleep, looking younger than he ever had.  
The fire in the hearth burned low and his skin was so cold... she longed to warm him up.  
So she did. With touches and kisses and languid caresses over his body. Until his eyes snapped open and he wrapped an arm around her, tugging her on top of him. They let themselves be consumed by the fire once more.

But now... she was alone. The room felt cold. The fire in the hearth dwindled down to a few glowing embers.

She rose to a sitting position, noting the delicious soreness of her body. She nervously tugged the blanket to her chest, looking around for a clue to where Jon might be. The room was dark and quiet. Their clothes from last night were still strewn all over the floor as if to confirm it hadn't all been a dream. An uneasy feeling started spreading through her stomach.

_He can't have LEFT... right?_

Then she heard a noise and Jon stepped out of the bathroom. His hair was wet and he was dressed in a pair of faded jeans. The scars on his chest stood out in stark relief against his pale skin. She frowned slightly. He looked like he just stepped out of the shower. He'd obviously been awake for a while.

He stopped to lean against the wall, regarding her silently. His expression was difficult to decipher. She watched him for a few seconds, unsure of what to say.

"You're awake," he finally said. His voice was impassive. She wasn't sure of what to make of it.

"So are you." She opted for the neutral response.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Dany felt her stomach drop. Had she read it all wrong? Was he about to ask her to leave?

"Daenerys," he started, "about last night..."

_It's DAENERYS now, then?_ She was suddenly flooded with anger. She pressed her lips together and said nothing, waiting for him to say whatever the fuck it was he was going to say to her _about last night_.

He exhaled a breath, "I never thought I'd be doing this... not with a student of mine."

"Doing this?" she asked coldly, "Having sex, you mean?" She felt like ice was flooding her heart. _Stupid, stupid, STUPID Dany!_

His eyes shot up to look at her in a look of surprise and... dismay?

"Is that what you think this was? Just sex?" His tone was sharp now, almost angry.

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked abruptly. She wanted to get it over with. She needed to. She was still flooded by an irrational wave of anger, wearing it like an armor.

He barked a laugh that sounded anything but amused, "Is that what you want?"

She narrowed her eyes, "You're so infuriating sometimes."

"Oh, am I? How so?"

"You always ask all the questions, you never give answers," she shot back, "how about you just say what's on your mind?"

He shook his head, looking irritated, "Alright."

He stuck his hands in his pockets and raised his head to stare into her eyes, "Last night was fucking incredible, I've never felt this way before in my life. I feel like there's something between us, something that's been there for a while," he paused, glancing away momentarily before bringing his eyes back to hers, his gaze open and direct, "and if I'm not much mistaken, you feel it too."

Dany felt her mouth dry, her heart was pounding a furious staccato against her chest at his words.

"So to answer your question- no, Dany, I don't want you to leave."

A wonderful wave of relief washed over her, erasing all traces of the anger that had been there just moments before. She bit her lip, trying to hide her smile.

"Come here," she whispered finally and he complied, stalking towards her slowly, graceful as a wolf on its paws.

She stopped him with a foot against his chest when he made to climb into bed beside her. He raised his eyes to her questioningly.

"Lose the pants."

He smiled then, a feral, wolfish smile, his eyes turning a shade darker. 

"Bossy..."

In an instant, he was as naked as on his nameday and wrapped around her again. She wrapped her arms around him, trying to fuse heat back into his skin, which felt unnaturally cold.

"I don't want to leave, either," she confessed, her voice trembling slightly. She raised her head to bring her lips to his.

"I know, Dany," he breathed against her lips, giving her a slow, deep, mind-bending kiss that wiped all doubt from her mind.

"And last night... was phenomenal."

He chuckled quietly, "Aye, it was." 

He slid down her body with a devilish grin until his mouth hovered between her legs. He tugged at her calf, bringing her thigh to rest on his shoulder, "Ready for more?"

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Last night had been frenzied, needy, almost desperate. All the pent-up emotions and tension between them reaching an impossible peak before erupting in such an intensity that they could not keep themselves from clawing at each other, desperate to be as close to one another as humanly possible.

But as incredible and unforgettable as last night had been, Dany mused, a slower pace could be just as mind-blowing.

Because when it came to the bedroom, Dany had discovered to her utter delight, Jon Snow liked to _take his time_.

He spent an inordinate amount of time with his mouth buried between her thighs, his lips, tongue and fingers bringing her to the brink time and time again just to retreat, denying her the ultimate thrill. After a few rounds of this exquisite torture, Dany had sunk her fingers into Jon's hair, yanking his head up and threatening to get her wand and Flaming Arrows his arse if he didn't follow through soon.

His eyes gleamed a wolfish red then and he gave her a predatory smile. His hands, quick as lightning, had spread her thighs open as he buried his head between them again.

The wave had hit her so abruptly and unexpectedly then that her back arched like a bow and her fingers dug into the bedsheets, an animalistic cry escaping her lips. To her complete shock, the light-bulb in the lamp overhead, which was fortunately not located right above the bed, had burst then, showering the room with tiny shards. 

When the wave had dissipated, leaving only aftershocks in its wake, Dany raised her head and laughed giddily as Jon rose on his elbow, chuckling, and pressed a long kiss to her lips.

"It's been so long since this has happened," she murmured, "since I've lost control over my magic. And certainly never for _this_ reason."

"I'll take it as a compliment," he whispered against his lips, smiling wickedly.

She then placed a hand over his shoulder and pushed him to his back, straddling him, sheathing his length within her in one smooth move, her eyes glinting with an inner fire. His eyes widened abruptly as a gasp escaped his lips.

"Seven _hells_ , Dany."

"Let's see if I can't return the favour then," she whispered. She then proceeded to ride him hard and fast until his eyes snapped shut and his mouth opened with a wolf-like growl. For a split-second, she saw his canines lengthening, and when he opened his eyes again there was still a hint of red in them.

"I'd consider that a success," he choked out, utterly breathless, as she collapsed on his chest with a satisfied smile.

The room turned silent except for their erratic breathing, gradually calming. Jon gently eased out of her, turning to pull her into his arms.

After a few more minutes of contented silence, Dany brushed her fingers hesitantly over the scars on his chest. Seven scars that looked like his skin had been viciously slashed by a blade.

He was watching her in silence, something she couldn't identify swimming in his eyes.

"You can ask," he finally said.

She bit her lip nervously, "Will you tell me about these?" she whispered the question.

Jon sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He was silent for so long that Dany started thinking he was reconsidering, refusing to answer. But then his answer came.

"I got these during my time at The Watch."

Dany blinked, confused for a second.

"The Watch...? The NIGHT'S Watch?" she stared at him, mouth falling open.

The Night's Watch was an elite group of Aurors, stationed at The Wall. The Wall marked the Northern border of Westeros, on the edge of a mysterious, eternally frozen wasteland known as The Anti-Magic Zone. Magic did not reliably work there.

In days of old, The Watch had protected the realm from The Night King and his whitewalkers. But these threats were long gone, defeated many years ago by one of her ancestors, Aegon the Conqueror. This was common knowledge.

But the Night's Watch still existed, although nobody really knew what they did, all members sworn to secrecy upon joining.

All she knew is that it was considered a dangerous and prestigious position. Only the most qualified and talented wizards and witches were ever allowed to join. Everything else was shrouded in mystery. 

"I didn't realize," she said in wonder, "I knew you used to work for the Ministry as an Auror, but I thought- I didn't know-"

"I worked for the Auror Office for a while, right after I graduated," he murmured, voice faraway, "they were pleased with my performance, so after a while, they offered me a position at The Watch. I accepted."

Dany watched him as he talked, noticing the fleeting pained expression that crossed over his face, vanishing a moment later. She wondered what it was that happened that had hurt him so. What it was that gave him, she suspected, more than just physical scars.

She could ask but she knew he wouldn't be able to answer.

"How come you left?" she asked instead, "how come you're here?"

Jon hesitated, considering, looking away momentarily.

"I can't give you details, but I can say that I left after I got hurt. Davos... Headmaster Seaworth is a family friend. He needed someone to fill Thorne's position and offered it to me. I agreed to come teach this year."

"This year? Does that mean you won't be coming back next year?" she asked, surprised and somewhat alarmed.

Jon smiled faintly, "You won't be coming back here next year either, remember? Or do you intend to fail my class?"

_Right._

Dany giggled, "I forget sometimes. I've been here so long, sometimes it's hard to imagine being anywhere else," she said wistfully.

She traced the largest scar with her fingertips again. It was crescent-shaped and was positioned directly over his heart. It looked deep. It looked as though it could have killed him.

She didn't know how he survived whatever it was that had happened to him, but she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude that he did. He could have been gone before she'd even met him, she could have been denied this scary, exciting feeling she got whenever he was near.

Dany pressed her cheek to his chest, over his heart, listening to his steady heartbeat. But the silence felt awkward somehow, strained. Jon's gaze was shuttered, his eyes averted from hers. After a while, she couldn't take it anymore.

"So..." she murmured, biting her lip, "what are we doing about food? It's not like we can waltz into breakfast together..."

Jon seemed to have been shaken from his reverie, "No, we can't... tell you what," he said, after pondering for a few seconds, "will you stay here? I'll be back shortly."

At her nod, he climbed out of bed, in search of his clothes.

Dany watched him from the bed, bottom lip stapled between her teeth. His body really was magnificent to behold. From his feet to the top of his head, there was no part of him that wasn't beautiful. She smiled and suppressed a shiver at the sight of the long red welts on his back, delicious memories of last night dancing through her mind.

He puttered around the room, gathering discarded clothes from the floor. Then he turned to face her, bending down to pick up his pants and she got an eyeful of his front.

_Well,_ she thought to herself, _Tormund, CLEARLY, hasn't seen it._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon came back about twenty minutes later balancing a huge tray on the tip of his wand. It was heaped with food. Rolls, scrambled eggs, toast, waffles, a jug of orange juice and tiny doughnuts with festive green and red icing.

His eyes found Dany, who was sitting by his desk, wearing a t-shirt of his, looking better than he ever did in it.

He placed the tray on the nightstand, "Stealing my clothes now, are you?"

She shrugged, "Seeing as you're responsible for tearing up my dress last night, I think you owe me."

"If you want to keep your clothes from tearing maybe you shouldn't look so fucking irresistible."

She laughed, cheeks pinkening. She looked so beautiful just then that Jon had half a mind to forget about breakfast and just drag her back in bed.

But she'd already jumped to her feet, rushing towards the food. "How did you sneak all that from the great hall?" she asked, already devouring a buttery roll.

"I didn't. It's from the kitchens. The elves are very accommodating."

"So I've heard."

The food had been consumed in a surprisingly short time, thanks to their combined efforts. Afterwards, they laid back on the bed, Jon running his hand through Dany's hair, gently rubbing the silky strands between his fingers.

"What do you want to do today?" she murmured, interrupting his gloomy thoughts. Her eyes were closed with pleasure at his touch and he took the opportunity to just look at her. _She looks so happy._ He felt a small spark of joy at the thought that it was him that brought this look to her face.

"You."

She giggled, "Naughty... I like that plan, but first-" she opened her eyes and hopped out of bed, ignoring his groan of protest, "I need to get something from my room."

She looked around hesitantly, "so... how do I get back there? I can't do the walk of shame wearing your shirt..."

Jon went to his desk and retrieved his wand. He swung it in a circular shape over her head and then gently tapped her forehead with it.

Dany wrinkled her nose, "This feels weird. Like you cracked an egg on my forehead."

"Aye," he chuckled, "you're Disillusioned now. Nobody will notice you until you get to your room. Hurry though, it will wear off before long."

"Thanks," she said brightly, pecked him on the lips, grabbed her shoes and wand and dashed out.

Jon fell back on his bed with a sigh once the door had closed behind her.

_I should feel more guilty about this._

And he did, he felt a twinge of guilt twisting his gut. That twinge had intensified when she started asking questions about The Watch. There was so much he couldn't tell her...  
But, for the moment, it was all but drowned by the glorious feeling of _rightness_ that washed over him whenever she was near. He didn't know how or why but he felt it so very clearly.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


About half an hour later, Dany reappeared at his door. She slipped back inside, still wearing his shirt but a pair of jeans as well now.

"So, umm-" she said nervously, "I have a Christmas gift for you."

Jon blinked, surprised, "You got me a Christmas present? When did you even-"

"About three weeks ago, at Blackwater village," she said hastily, cheeks turning pink.

"Three weeks ago, but that was before..." Jon's voice trailed off. Dany was chewing on her lower lip nervously.

"Yeah well," she mumbled, "I wasn't sure I'd ever work up the courage to give it to you even, but... I've been thinking about this... you... for a while now." She was blushing harder now, her cheeks bright crimson. Her eyes were resolutely fixed on the wall.

"Hey," he tugged at her hand, pulling her close, tilting her chin up gently to look into her eyes, "I've been thinking of this for a while too."

"You have?" she looked extraordinarily pleased with herself.

"Aye, I have."

She just stood there for a few moments, blazing eyes fixed on him. His heart stuttered.

And then the look in her eyes turned predatory.

"So you've been thinking about this for a while, huh?"

"Aye, I just said-"

"You've been thinking about banging your student for a while now?"

"I didn't say _banging_ -"

"But you thought about it?"

"Seven _hells_ , aye, I thought about it."

She leaned into him, bringing her lips to his ear, "Maybe you can show me later what you were thinking about," she whispered, playfully nipping his ear.

He was just about to rip the offending clothes off her and show her exactly what had been on his mind for the past few weeks, but she nimbly stepped out of his reach, reaching into her pocket, producing a small paper bag.

"I haven't had the chance to wrap it, but... I hope you like it," she said shyly, "Merry Christmas."

He curiously opened the bag to reveal a silver direwolf pendant. He was speechless for a few long moments.

"How-"

"Your tattoo," she murmured, voice trembling nervously, "and you can transform into a direwolf so I thought... it must mean something to you."

"It does, it's-- hang on," he arched his eyebrow, "how do you know I can transform?" He was fairly sure he never told her that.

Dany smiled sheepishly, "My friend Margaery found your name on The Animagus Registry, and well... your stunt during the masquerade."

Jon chuckled at the memory, "True, you seemed so certain I didn't bother with a costume, I had to prove you wrong."

"I was right, though," she reminded him, giggling, "you cheated... so, do you like it?" she asked, suddenly unsure.

"Dany, it's..." he found he couldn't even finish. He pulled her into his arms.

"Thank you," he murmured into her hair.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


They spent the rest of the day tangled up in each other, nearly the entirety of their time spent in Jon's room, save for going to the great hall for Christmas lunch.

Dany slipped out of his room again, aided by his Disillusionment charm, to get back to her room. She showered, changed and got down to lunch, nodding cordially at Jon when she passed by his seat.

Later that evening, she was laying in his arms, her cheek pressed to his chest, feeling warm and safe and at peace with the world.

She traced her finger around the direwolf pendant, now resting against his chest. The sight of it against his pale skin made a possessive shiver course through her body. It made her feel like he was _hers_.

"Can I ask you something?" she murmured.

He gave a low chuckle, "Dany, you're naked in my bed, you can ask me whatever you want."

She giggled in response and raised her eyes to look at him, "How old are you?"

"Oh, is that all? I thought you were going to ask me about my deepest, darkest secrets."

"Hmm, now that you mention it..."

"Nope, too late. You already picked your question," he paused, pressing soft kisses to her shoulder and neck, relishing in the tremors his touch was eliciting.

"So why do you want to know? Are you trying to work out whether it's creepy that I'm sleeping with you?"

She gave him a playful punch to his shoulder, giggling again and pressing her mouth to his, enjoying the soft caress of his tongue in her mouth.

"Hardly. Just curious. You seem awfully young to be teaching here."

"I'm twenty-four. Happy?"

She frowned for a second, a contemplative look on her face.

"What?"

"Just trying to work out whether it's creepy that you're sleeping with me."

She laughed out loud at the exasperated look on his face. 

He rolled his eyes and pulled her into his arms, effectively shutting her up with his mouth on hers.

She wrenched her lips from his, "So why a direwolf?" she asked, tracing her fingers on his tattoo.

"It's a family crest of sorts," said Jon, stretching an arm to rest his head on it, "my cousins have similar ones."

Dany perked up, excited to learn more about him, "How many cousins do you have?"

"Four. Robb, Sansa, Arya and Bran," he raised his eyebrows, "you've met three of them, you know."

"Huh? I have?" Dany eyed him with puzzlement. She would certainly remember meeting cousins of his.

"Aye. The Winter Wolves? It's my cousins' band."

"What!?" Dany sat up in bed, gaping at him, "The Winter Wolves are your cousins?"

Jon chuckled, "how do you think I ended up performing with them?"

"Wait, the drummer-"

"That's Arya."

"I thought she looked familiar," Dany shook her head, laughing, "now I realize she just looks a lot like _you_."

Jon chuckled, smiling at the thought of his cousin, "Aye, Arya and I are a lot alike. In more ways than one."

"Oh? Is she also an infuriating broody arse that's near impossible to impress?"

"Impossible to impress, am I? I think you've been doing an exceptional job of it so far..."

"Why, thank you, _professor_ ," she drawled, climbing onto his lap, straddling him, "are you referring to my prowess in Defense Against the Dark Arts or... in _other_ areas?"

Jon rolled his eyes, a ghost of a smile on his lips, "I meant in class, but..." he tangled his hand in her hair, bringing her mouth to his for a scorching kiss, then pulling his head slightly away to look into her eyes, "you're pretty impressive all around."

Dany felt her heart skipping a beat or two, staring into his gray eyes, his gaze so intense it felt like he was looking into her soul.

She couldn't believe how wonderfully easy and natural it felt to be with him. How _right_. It was as though something broke open the night of the Yule ball. As though a veil had been lifted and she could finally see clearly. See the answer to a question she never thought to ask. But now it was all crystal clear.

She then closed the distance between them and their lips met again, making all rational thought fly right out of her brain.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon opened his eyes, blinking slowly. It was morning, boxing day, he thought. Dany was a warm presence at his back, her arm curved loosely around his midsection as she slept.

He glanced at his phone on the nightstand and groaned. It was nearly nine o'clock and he had a meeting with Davos and Tyrion in about thirty minutes. Dany stirred at his movement, whining in sleepy protest as he tried to gently pull away from her.

"Where are you going?" she asked, voice hoarse with sleep, eyes still closed.

Jon leaned over to brush a kiss against her forehead, "I need to meet with the headmaster in half an hour or so, I'm sorry, I should have mentioned it earlier."

And he would have, but he'd been so tangled up in her for the past day that he just forgot.

"Mmm... for how long?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest, could be a few hours."

"HOURS?" her eyes popped open, no longer sleepy-looking.

Jon sighed, "Yes, I'm sorry, I'll be back as soon as possible."

She sat up, biting her lip anxiously, seemingly considering what to say next. She looked like she was still somehow expecting him to politely ask her to leave. Or kick her out.

_Not bloody likely._

He pulled her to him and kissed her in what he hoped was a reassuring way.

As if to confirm his sentiment had been conveyed, she slid down his body with a mischievous glint in her eyes, her tongue gliding slowly down his abdomen.

"Half an hour, you said?" she purred, "We better hurry then..."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Approximately thirty-seven minutes later, Jon, trying to catch his breath from running down the corridor, knocked on the headmaster's door.

"Come in," came a voice from inside.

Jon opened the door to reveal Headmaster Seaworth and Professors Lannister and Greyjoy seated by the large ornate hearth, frowning at him.

"You're late," remarked Davos.

"Apologies, I got held up." _Or held down, such as it was._ He entered the room and took a seat next to Tyrion.

"Professor Greyjoy has kindly returned from her vacation early in order to join the meeting."

Jon tipped his head towards her in acknowledgement. "Shall we begin?"

Jon paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "Have any of you noticed the unusual cold the last few months?" he eventually asked.

Davos frowned slightly, "Indeed we have, do you think it's significant?"

"It is. I heard word from a friend at the citadel. He claims the winter hasn't started this early in thousands of years."

There was a short silence as everybody absorbed the news.

"Do you think it's because of him?"

"Without a doubt."

Yara leaned forward in her seat, frustration tinging her voice, "But what does it mean?"

"He's growing stronger."

"And The Heart of Winter?"

"Nothing's changed, as far as we can tell."

"Perhaps another check is in order," said Davos, slipping his glasses off his nose, "Jon, will you see to it?"

"Of course, headmaster."

"And what of your classes? How are the students progressing?"

"It was a slow start," Jon answered, "but they're getting better, stronger. Some of them could do with more practice," he added with a frown.

Davos hummed, "Perhaps a demonstration of sorts after the holidays," he suggested, "might help with the motivation. I'm sure professor Martell would be happy to lend a hand."

"Certainly."

Davos nodded and turned to Tyrion, "And what of the enchantments around the school? Have you noticed any change of late?"

"I've been making regular checks as you requested, headmaster, nothing of note so far, I will let you know if I noticed anything of note."

"Good."

"Now, we've gotten news from the ministry..."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany grew restless shortly after Jon left the room, deciding to go down to breakfast.

She pulled her clothes back on, going into the small en-suite bathroom to hunt for a hairbrush. She found one and quickly dragged it through her hair, attempting to make it look as though she hadn't spent the night and a better part of the morning with Jon repeatedly running his hands through it. 

She critically eyed herself in the mirror, smiling at the sight of the bite mark still evident on her neck. She remembered that moment vividly.

_The touch of his hands on her naked body, the burning fire in his eyes, the momentary sharp and pleasurable pain when his teeth closed on her neck._

She shivered, her skin erupting in goosebumps at the memory. She arranged her hair in a side braid in an attempt to cover the mark. She made a note to herself to wear something that would properly cover it up when Missy came back from the Christmas vacation. She did NOT want to try to explain this one.

She then slipped out of the room, surreptitiously looking up and down the corridor, making sure she was alone. She then hurried in the direction of the great hall.

She arrived to find it populated by the few students that stayed in the castle for Christmas. It seemed that everyone took advantage of the vacation to catch up on some extra sleep and opted for a later breakfast.

She sat at the Gryffindor table, helping herself to some tea and Christmas porridge.

Breakfast concluded, she made her way back to her dormitory with vague plans to do some homework. She plopped down on her bed when she got there, staring at the ceiling.

Her mind was overflowing with thoughts, as if there was a horde of bees flying around in her head, buzzing incessantly.

_I slept with Jon Snow. A lot._

She buried her head in her pillow, feeling giddy and apprehensive and excited all at once.

_What are we now?_ she wondered, _Dating?_  
The concept felt strange on her mind. How could she possibly date her teacher? What would happen once the vacation ended and the schoolyear resumed? Should they talk about it?

She didn't want to talk about it. She wanted to stay in their happy bubble and forget about what was looming ahead. Because she was worried that once classes started again, things would change.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


After nearly five hours, the meeting drew to an end.

"I will update the rest of the staff after the holidays," said Davos, as everybody stood and stretched, "we will have another meeting soon."

Jon stepped out of the office at least, tired, hungry and sporting a headache.

Yara Greyjoy stepped by his side as he slowly made his way in the direction of his room, "when are you planning to check on the Heart of Winter, then?" she asked.

"Soon."

"Need a hand?"

He stopped to look at her. She met his eyes, gaze direct and unashamed as it travelled down his body.

_Right._

"I got it," he said drily, moving in the direction of his room again, not bothering to glance back at her.

"The offer still stands, Snow," she called after him, sounding mildly amused.

Jon quickened his footsteps once he was out of Yara's sight, wondering whether Dany was still in his room.

He hoped so. He had missed her. After only five fucking hours. After spending a night and a day with her. He found his own mind wandering off at times during the meeting, thinking of her. Like a lovesick teenager.

_How the hells did this happen?_

Jon eased the door to his room open and was treated to the sight of Dany, wearing jeans and a t-shirt with the Gryffindor logo emblazoned on the back, laying on her stomach on his bed. She had a quill in hand, a parchment in front of her and a number of open books strewn around her. She had obviously made herself at home.

He felt a possessive shiver course through him. He was absurdly pleased to find her there, looking like she belonged there. Looking like she was _his_.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Upon hearing the door shutting, Dany raised her head from contemplating a paragraph in 'A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration', turning on her back to see Jon leaning against the wall, a small smile quirking his lips.

She swallowed, feeling the familiar heat rising in her again. "You've been a while," she finally said, willing her stubborn mind to stop conjuring filthy thoughts at the mere sight of his beautiful face and gorgeous body, "what time is it, anyway?"

"It's nearly three," he let his eyes rove over her and she shivered at the possessive gleam in them.

"What are you up to?" he asked, nodding towards the parchment and the small mountain of books scattered around the bed.

"Transfiguration essay."

He moved closer to the bed, leaning over her to have a look, reading from the parchment over her shoulder, "Not bad."

She snorted, "I could write that essay in my sleep." 

He smiled into her hair, "I don't doubt that." She could barely stop a small gasp from escaping her lips at the closeness of him, his hot breath ruffling her hair, inhaling her scent.

"Had lunch?" he murmured into her ear.

"Not yet."

"Shall we get some, then?"

"You mean, from your friends the elves in the kitchen?"

"That's the plan."

"Ok. Are we eating here?"

"Actually... I have a better idea."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


They sat at the top of the astronomy tower, by a huge window overlooking the grounds and the lake.

They shared an enormous lunch, graciously provided by the house-elves in the kitchens, who seemed very partial to Jon (not that she could blame them).

Jon drew a semi-circle of protective enchantments around them, to conceal them from view should anyone wander around anywhere near the room.

"You're pretty good at this," Dany remarked, chewing on a slice of chicken and ham pie.

"Scoring food from house-elves?"

Dany rolled her eyes, "Protective enchantments."

"Well, I _am_ the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher..."

There was a moment of silence, as Dany finished off her pie.

"Did you use to cast this kind of enchantments often," she asked hesitantly, "... when you were at The Watch?"

"Dany..."

"I know you can't tell me much," she said hastily, "I just... want to know more about you," she muttered, picking at a loose thread at the edge of her shirt.

Jon put down his bacon sandwich and turned to face her.

"Aye, my time there involved lot of protective enchantments," he said quietly, "used a lot of battle magic too," he ran his hand through his hair, in what she came to recognize as a nervous gesture, "most of what I've been teaching you this semester are things I learned and perfected at The Watch."

He sighed and gazed out the window, "This kind of magic has saved my life and the lives of others more times than I can count," he murmured.

He hesitated, Dany felt like he was on the verge of telling her something. Something important. She could see it in his eyes...

But then the moment passed. Jon shook his head slightly and drew her into his arms, pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of her head.

They sat in silence for a while, basking in the view and each other's presence.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


As the evening approached, Dany was starting to feel a heavy sensation settling in the pit of her stomach. Missy would be back the next day, which meant her time alone with Jon was up, at least for the time being. There was no way she could sneak out to spend time with him without raising her best friend's suspicions.

If Jon's demeanour was any indication, he was dreading what was coming as well. His usual stoic and broody attitude became ever more so.

They didn't talk about it. Dany wasn't sure what was there even to say.

They joined their bodies again that night, the act taking a more frantic quality this time, similar to the first time. They were ferocious, bruising, _desperate_.

Dany could feel her vision blur as they moved together, ignoring the tears cascading down her cheeks.

_This is not a goodbye,_ she vowed to herself. Now that she had him, she was not going to give him up. She had no intention to let anyone or anything stand in her way.

She was a dragon after all, and she would stay true to the words of her house.

_Fire and Blood._

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now you all know how old Jon is (seemed to interest a lot of people). Yey.  
> If you'erewondering about Dany's age and missed my previous mention of it, she's almost 19. It will be mentioned in the story later on.
> 
> Lemme hear your thoughts, thank you for reading!


	10. I Dare You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again,
> 
> Can't believe I'm 10 chapters in already. When I started writing this story, I estimated it will be about 10 chapters long ^^ that's not happening.
> 
> I won't ramble on this time, Enjoy!

  


Missandei stepped off the train, happily jogging towards Dany. The two friends hugged warmly.

"Dany! Gods, I'm so sorry I left you all alone on Christmas," said Missy apologetically.

Dany waved her hand dismissively, rolling her eyes, "Come on, Missy, there's no way I'd keep you from spending the holiday with Grey," she said sternly, "and if you apologize to me again I'll hex you."

Missy laughed. They started walking slowly towards the castle, Dany helping her drag the heavy trunk.

"So how was it?"

"It was fantastic," Missy positively beamed, "Grey's parents are so nice. And we had this Mireenese-style Christmas eve, it was different but very interesting. And the food was delicious."

Missy happily explained all about the exotic foods she sampled, the customs she got to partake in and the interesting people she'd met over the holiday.

She paused to take a breath, "And how was yours? You weren't too lonely here all by yourself?"

Dany bit her lower lip to keep from giving herself away with a silly smile, "It was ok, there were quite a few students and staff here, actually," she shrugged, "and the feast was great, as usual."

"Which staff members stayed this year?" Missy inquired as they made their way inside the castle and up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower.

"Headmaster Seaworth was here, as always, Professor Lannister and," she swallowed nervously, trying to sound casual, "Professor Snow."

"Professor Snow, huh?" Missy's smile turned sly.

"Don't say it like that."

"Like what?"

"Like- like something- you _know_ like what."

"Hey, you're the one who flirted with him."

Dany groaned and Missy giggled.

"I'm just teasing, someone has to since Marg isn't around..."

Dany playfully punched her shoulder, rolling her eyes.

"So did you get to see him any during the holiday?"

Dany flushed, nervously tugging at her collar.

Her neck was still tender where Jon had sunk his teeth into it during their very first time together. The mark, although somewhat less conspicuous now, was well covered by her clothes and she intended to keep it that way. 

"You know, here and there... so what do you want to do today?" she hastily changed the subject.

"Hmm... Blackwater?"

"Sure."

After dumping Missy's trunk back in their room, they made their way back out of the castle and towards Blackwater village.

It wasn't as crowded as it was the last time they were there, and they took the chance to admire the lavish holiday decorations. All the stores were covered in snow, giving them the look of iced cupcakes, and there were lights and decorations everywhere.

Around lunchtime, Missy suggested they stop for lunch in The Three Ravens, one of the village's better-known restaurants.

The restaurant was extremely noisy and packed full of people. They squeezed their way through the crowd, heading towards a small table by the window.  
They decided on a shepherd's pie, a long-time favorite of theirs.

"This is amazing," sighed Missy, digging into her plate, "I missed this."

"It's been too long," Dany agreed, enjoying the food and Missy's company.

When the plates have been wiped thoroughly clean, Missy leaned forward, laying her chin on her hand and affixed Dany with a stare.

Dany raised an eyebrow at her, "What?"

"Well," Missy hesitated, "I wasn't sure if I should bring it up but... do you want to talk about what happened at the Ball?"

"W-what?" Dany's stomach dropped. She was so certain nobody knew, so sure that nobody noticed. Especially since none of her friends said anything before. But Missy has obviously spotted Jon looking at Dany while he was on stage, saw him singing to her...

"Uhm.. what do you mean?" she asked, trying to sound casual even though her hands were damp with sweat and her heart was pounding.

"I mean... you danced with Daario," Missy nudged her shoulder playfully, "don't think we're not talking about that."

Dany was nearly paralyzed with relief. So Missy had no idea after all.

"Oh, that," she waved her hand dismissively.

"Yeah, THAT," Missy laughed, "so... are you gonna go out with him again?"

"Absolutely not," said Dany resolutely, "it was just a one-time thing at the ball, it was Christmas and all..."

"I thought you spent some more time with him that night," Missy said slowly, frowning slightly.

"What made you think that?" asked Dany, confused, "I told you I'm not interested in him that way."

"Well, you disappeared after the concert," Missy raised her eyebrow, "so I just assumed..."

"I wasn't with Daario," she mumbled, "I just had enough is all."

She felt warm all over thinking about that night.

_Jon, looking sinfully handsome in his suit... Jon on stage, dark eyes fixed on her as if she were the only thing in the world... the first shock of his lips upon hers... the realization that her feelings were returned..._

"Ok, so Daario is a no, then."

Dany blinked, coming back to the present, "Definitely a no."

Missy twirled a curl around her finger, eyeing her thoughtfully, "Anyone else that captured your eye? It's been a while since that guy... what was his name?"

_Drogo_. Dany grimaced slightly. She had met him during the summer before her sixth year. He was tall, exotic and interested in her. So she'd let herself be swept into a summer romance, diving headfirst into what was her first-ever serious relationship. As serious as one can be at seventeen.

When the summer ended, they said tearful goodbyes and promised each other to stay in touch throughout the schoolyear. She went back to The Academy, he went back to Essos to complete his final year and they did, for a while, text and chat on the phone constantly, even vaguely planning to spend the Christmas vacation together. 

But then something changed. His texts became few and far between and the phonecalls stopped completely. Dany had initially assumed schoolwork was demanding more of his time, but after a while, it became obvious that he was just no longer interested, at least not enough to maintain a long-distance relationship. 

She had been angry and hurt, feeling heartbroken. She ended it in a text message and never looked back. Only some time afterwards did she realize that she had been more infatuated not so much with him, but rather with the idea of being with him. It felt good, for a while, to be a part of a couple.

None of it even remotely compared to how she felt about Jon. The irresistible pull between them, the explosive attraction, the ache she felt inside when she was away from him... She had never experienced anything like this ever before.

Dany shook her head, "I'm just not interested right now, Missy."

Missy hesitated, chewing her lip for a few seconds before speaking again, "Look, Dany..." she started, "I know you have this crush on Professor Snow, but you shouldn't let this stop you from-"

"Missy, SSHHHH!" Dany hissed, looking around to make sure nobody was listening.

"I'm sorry," said Missy hastily at the look on Dany's face, "I'm sorry, Dany, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, look-" Dany took a deep breath, "I'm not mad, can we just.. just drop it, please?"

"Of course." Missy still looked apologetic and unsure, so Dany clasped her hand around hers, squeezing reassuringly. Missy smiled back at her, relieved.

After having coffee and apple pie for dessert, they left the restaurant to make their way back towards the castle.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Two days later, Margaery squealed happily as she stepped off the train and threw herself at Dany and Missy's shoulders.

"You guys, I missed you so much."

"She did," said Loras, climbing off the train, dragging two heavy trunks behind him, "so much that she obviously can't carry her own damn luggage..."

Marg rolled her eyes at him, "What he means is that he missed you too."

She started walking towards the castle, arms slung over Dany and Missy's shoulders, ignoring Loras' scowl. 

Over breakfast the following day, they decided to spend the morning iceskating on the frozen lake.

Missy, who was never a fan, begged off, preferring to spend the day by the hearth in the Gryffindor common room with some new books she got for Christmas.

And so, when breakfast was concluded, Dany, Loras and Marg bundled up in their winter attire, slung their skates over their shoulders and made their way out of the castle in the direction of the lake.

The sun shone weakly outside, its light reflecting off the snow that covered every patch of ground.

The lake was already teeming with students who had already come back from their holiday vacation. Most of them seemed pretty wobbly on their feet, only a few seemed to be good skaters.

Dany pulled on her skates. She was actually a decent skater. It rarely got cold enough in Dragonstone for outdoors iceskating, but she skated whenever she had the chance. And she had done a lot of it during her winters at The Academy.

Marg and Loras were already on the ice, skating gracefully, jokingly pushing each other. 

Dany skated close to them, "If you guys dare try to knock me down, I'm going to turn you both into ferrets," she threatened.

Marg pouted, "We would never..."

They amused themselves skating for a while, Dany getting progressively more confident on the ice, now that she had the chance to warm up a bit.

After about an hour, they decided to take a break, plopping down on the snow by the lake, drinking coffee they had brought with them.

Dany closed her eyes, enjoying the quiet and fresh air.  
They were just finishing their drinks and on their way back to the ice when Marg nudged Dany's arm.

"Well, lookie who's here..." she whispered, pointing over Dany's shoulder.

Dany turned around and felt warmth engulf her from head to toe.

_Jon._ He walked slowly in the direction of the lake, accompanied by the headmaster. They were having what seemed like a quiet discussion, Jon frowning a bit, shaking his head at something the headmaster said.

"Good day, Headmaster, Professor," Marg loudly called, waving at them.

Headmaster Seaworth looked up and smiled at them, "Good day, Miss Tyrell, Mr Tyrell, Miss Targaryen."

"Are you going to join the iceskating, Headmaster?" Marg asked brightly, casting a mischievous look in Jon Snow's direction.

The headmaster chuckled, "I'm afraid any attempt I'd make to get on the ice would result in broken limbs and a bruised ego," he clapped Jon on the shoulder, pushing him slightly towards them, "but Professor Snow here practically grew up on the ice, maybe you can convince him to stop working for a little while."

Jon Snow mumbled something that sounded like "traitor" in the direction of the headmaster, who just chuckled again, patted him on the shoulder, turned around and headed back towards the castle.

"Can you show us some moves, Professor?" Marg asked, staring up at him with wide innocent eyes.

Jon sighed a little and pulled out his wand, approaching the lake. One flick of a wand later, he had skates on his feet.

Dany tried to discreetly send an apologetic look his way and frowned at Marg, "I don't think he's interested."

"Pff, who cares," Marg whispered back, "we get to see his gorgeous arse on ice."

Jon was already zooming around on the ice, moving as if he was born with skates attached.

Dany, Marg and Loras went back to the ice as well, skating slowly somewhat behind Jon.

He was fast and _so_ graceful, thought Dany to herself, feeling the familiar heat, which always consumed her when she looked at him, starting to spread through her veins.

She stared at his shapely form, barely paying attention to where she was going.

"You're drooling, you know," Marg whispered to her, nudging her ribs playfully.

"Oh shut up," Dany muttered back, "it was your idea."

"You should talk, sis," Loras chirped, skating along next to them, "your eyes are like, glued to his arse."

"Can you blame me? It's the best view around," replied Marg, cocking her head, shamelessly ogling.

Dany privately agreed.

Jon slowed his pace, skating lazily in small circles now.

Dany, who was busy gawking at him, failed to notice that Marg was pulling out her wand with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Dany?"

"Mmm..?"

"You'll thank me later."

"Wha-?"

Marg suddenly pushed her slightly ahead and flicked her wand in her direction.

Dany pitched violently forward, hurtling towards Jon at breakneck speed, completely out of control.  
He turned around just in time to see her zooming towards him, eyes widening.  
She crashed straight into his arms, both of them falling back on the ice, skidding a few meters before coming to a stop.

She found herself with her face mere millimeters from his, laying on top of him on the ice, breathing heavily.

After verifying she was unharmed, Jon shook his head, chuckling a bit, slowly getting up and pulling her to her feet.

"If you wanted to be on top, all you had to do was ask," he whispered so only she could hear.

Dany scoffed, heat pooling low in her belly at his words, biting her lip in an effort not to smile.

"That was Marg's doing, not sure what she means by it," she muttered.

"You're not?"

"I guess it's her crazy idea of matchmaking," Dany shrugged, "she's convinced I have a crush on you," she mumbled, face pinkening.

"Don't you?" there was a predatory glint in his eyes, warring with the amused expression on his face.

"I'll go murder her now." She started skating away before stopping and turning back to look at him.

"And... for the record," she raised her eyes to stare right into his, "when I want to be on top... I won't bother asking."

She skated away, smiling at his quietly muttered "Seven _hells_."

She came to a halt next to Marg and Loras who were trying and failing to suppress their mirth.

She opened her mouth to threaten Marg with the wrath of doom when Marg raised a finger, wagging it at her.

"Before you start complaining, remember you just got to have Jon Snow's delicious body pressed against yours," she winked, "I really did do you a favor."

Dany threw her a dirty look, shaking her head as they slowly went back to skating.

"So what did you guys talk about? You seemed pretty cosy there."

"I was asking him if he knew a curse that would kill you slowly and make it look like an accident."

"I think what you're trying to say is 'thank you'."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


On the morning of New Year's Eve, Dany and her friends were just finishing breakfast when Marg put down her teacup.

"So, I have the best idea for tonight," she announced.

"Does it involve a party and public drunkenness?" inquired Missy.

"You know me so well."

Marg proceeded to explain that there was to be a New Year's Eve party at The Wild Boar and that many of their classmates were planning to attend.

"So what do you say? Ready to party like it's 283 AC?"

"Ok."

"I guess."

"If we must."

"That's the enthusiasm I was hoping for," Marg rolled her eyes and laughed, "now, let's go back to the dorms so I can help you pick something spectacular to wear."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


"Damn, Dany, you can't wear any of these," Marg complained as she dug through her trunk, tossing clothes everywhere. She had dragged Dany and Missy to their rooms to find what she called 'party-appropriate attire' in preparation for tonight.

She had already found a black and white dress of Missy's that she declared 'acceptable', but Dany's trunk seemed to hold nothing that satisfied her.

"This is too boring," A pale lilac dress with flared sleeves was tossed over Marg's right shoulder, "this you wore to the Yule Ball," the silvery dress went the way of the first, "and this... I don't even know what to say," Marg eyed the banana yellow garment with disgust.

She finally slammed the trunk shut and stood up.

"Wait here," she commanded and bounded out of the room.

Dany dropped on her bed, looked around at her discarded clothes and sighed. She wasn't all that excited about that party. She had barely seen Jon in days. They hadn't been able to spend any time with each other since Missy came back and she missed him so embarrassingly much.

She was starting to dread the start of the next semester. She feared she would have no opportunities to see him at all outside of classes and the thought drove her crazy.

Her mind was beginning to concoct increasingly ridiculous plans for meeting him alone when she was jerked out of her musings by Margaery bursting back into the room, clutching a dark green something.

"This, my dear, is what you'll be wearing to the party tonight," Marg exclaimed happily and held up the garment for her to see.

It was a deep green strapless dress with a delicate sequin pattern. It looked _much_ shorter than what Dany usually wore. "Where's the rest of it?", she asked.

"Oh, shut it and try it on," Marg commanded, thrusting the dress under Dany's nose with an ominous sort of look in her eyes.

Grumbling, Dany took the dress and pulled it on, after switching her white sports bra for a strapless black one.

She finally pulled the zipper up and placed her hands on her hips in a mock modelling pose.

"So how do I look?" she asked, pursing her lips and batting her eyelashes at them.

"Fantastic!" said Missy.

"Hot!" said Marg happily, "I knew it would look awesome on you."

Dany eyed herself critically in the mirror. The dress was shorter than her usual and it was so tight on top that she felt her breasts were about to burst right out but... she suppressed a shiver when she imagined Jon seeing her in that dress. Undressing her with his eyes and then with his hands...

"So, it's settled," Marg's voice shook her out of her increasingly lewd thoughts, "you're wearing it tonight."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Around nine o'clock that evening, the four of them met in the entrance hall and made their way outside towards Blackwater village.

It was beyond freezing outside. Even with her coat, gloves, scarf and hat, Dany was shivering uncontrollably, positive it was at least ten below. They trudged through the thick snow towards The Wild Boar pub. As they approached, they could already hear loud music and raucous laughter coming from inside.

They rushed inside, taking off their outer clothing and hanging everything on a rickety hanger at the entrance, which was already heaped with assorted coats and cloaks.  
The room was jam-packed with seventh-year students, most of them holding mugs of ale or doing shots.

Margaery hurried inside to snag one of the last available tables, right in the middle of the room and waved them over to join her.

"Best Seats in the house, right in the middle of the action," she said happily, plopping on a chair and waving her hand to Tormund, who was standing by the bar.

"First round's on me, guys," said Margaery, asking Tormund for two shots of tequila for each of them.

The shots arrived a minute later, floating on a small tray, courtesy of Tormund.

"Bottoms up!"

They all lifted their glasses and tossed back shots in unison. Dany coughed when the fiery liquid burnt a path into her stomach, warming her up all over.

"Again!" cried Margaery joyfully.

And so they went again. And again. Dany had eventually lost count of how many shots she had downed. She just knew her head was pleasantly buzzing and everything around her seemed brighter and funnier somehow.

At one point, Margaery forced them all to their feet to jump and scream to the music, blending with the rest of the crowd which turned progressively noisier and more drunk.

From the corner of her eye, Dany saw the pub door open and close, Jon stepping inside along with Tyrion and the headmaster.

He never even glanced in her direction as he took a seat at the bar, accepting a giant mug of ale from Tormund, who happily clapped him on the back, nearly sending him face-first to the floor.

She stared at his back with narrowed eyes, annoyed that he wasn't even looking at her, even though she wasn't entirely sure he could even see her in the sea of students crowding the pub.

"Come ON, Dany," screeched Marg drunkenly, "you have to dance, it's my FAVOURITE song."

The last four songs had all been her favourites.

After a while, Marg got tired of dancing and dragged them back to the table.

Once they all sat down again, Marg decided it was time for a drinking game. She waved her arm frantically towards Tormund, ordering four mugs of Wildling ale.

"Ew, Marg, why would you order that?" moaned Loras, "'s disgusting."

"That's the point, dummy," she rolled her eyes, "we're playing Truth or Dare or drink some disgusting Wildling ale," she giggled.

Dany and Missy also groaned loudly in protest.

"You know the rules," she chirped, undeterred, "you pick truth or dare and if you refuse to answer or do the dare you have to drink the most revolting drink you've ever had the displeasure of tasting."

They still looked unconvinced and she huffed, "I'll go first, to show you how it's done."

"Alright," said Missy, "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"When's the last time you slept with a guy?"

Marg giggled, choosing to ignore Loras' muttered 'eww.'  
"Going straight for the jugular, I like it," she cleared her throat dramatically, "Christmas vacation."

Missy and Dany laughed out loud when Loras groaned, "Marg, tell me you didn't..."

"Didn't what?" Missy asked with keen interest.

"That guy at grandmother's Christmas formal..."

Marg shrugged, "Hey, he was cute... and I was _really_ bored."

"I so didn't need to know that," he muttered, resting his forehead on the table.

"Missy, your turn!"

"Truth."

"Have you done the deed with Grey yet?"

"On Christmas vacation," Missy was blushing scarlet.

Marg and Dany laughed and cheered, Marg yelling, "Ha! I knew it! Good on you, girl!"

Missandei shook her head, laughing, face still somewhat pink.

"Gods, did everyone but me get laid during the Christmas vacation?" whined Loras.

"Well, since I know Daario went home for the holidays, I'm guessing Dany also failed to get some," giggled Marg.

Dany stuck her tongue out to her. _Actually, I'm pretty sure I got way more than all of you combined,_ she thought privately, suppressing a smirk.

Marg set her eyes on her brother, "Loras, it's your turn!"

"Truth."

"Hmm, I don't need to ask if you've done it with Renly yet, I'm not blind..." said Marg, tapping on her lip thoughtfully, "and I already know your number."

"We don't!" exclaimed Missy and Dany in unison, giggling at Loras' frown.

He glanced at his Wilding ale mug.

"Don't you dare," Marg waved a threatening finger at him.

"Fine. Four. Happy now?"

Missy and Dany hollered in laughter as Marg gave him a one-armed hug, "You know we love you brother, even if you're a giant slut."

"Oh, shove off."

"Your turn, Dany!"

"Truth."

"Well, we know you just slept with the one guy... whatsisname... Rongo?"

"Drogo. Was that your question?"

Marg cast her eyes around, looking for a better alternative. Her eyes lingered on something at the vicinity of the bar and her smile turned wicked. Dany was sure she wasn't gonna like what was coming next.

"Ok, here's one," she leaned closer to her, eyes dancing mischievously, "if you had to bang one guy who's in the pub right now, who would it be?"

Dany rolled her eyes. _Nobody has ever accused Margaery of being subtle, I have to give her that._

"I hate you, Marg."

"Sorry, that's not an acceptable answer," Marg smiled at her, eyes dancing in merriment, "Truth or drink up, and remember," she waved her finger at her sternly, "I'll know if you're lying."

A few tense seconds passed and then Dany raised her mug to her lips and took a long sip.

_Fuuuuuuuuuck_. Dany gagged and nearly vomited all over the floor. Disgusting didn't even begin to describe the flavour. The words 'fermented garbage' came to mind.

"Oh _Gods_ ," Dany coughed and spattered, determined never to touch that substance ever again.

"Pff. Serves you right," Marg pouted.

They went two more rounds in a similar fashion until they ran all out of questions and Marg declared the game had now become 'Dare or drink'.

Marg was dared to dance on the table (which she happily did, to general cheers and wolf-whistles from the surrounding crowd), Missy to imitate a duck (she did surprisingly well) and Loras to do a handstand (he fell on his face and nearly broke his nose).

"Your turn again, Dany!" said Marg, mischievous smile back on her lips.

"Bring it on, I'm not touching that disgusting swill ever again," Dany declared, chin stubbornly set.

"Ok then, in that case," Marg giggled, and leaned in closer to her, "I dare you to kiss Jon Snow."

"W-what?" Dany stammered, her face flaming, Missy and Loras bursting into drunken laughter beside her.

"You heard me," Marg grinned, "kiss him. Properly. Right here, right now. I dare you."

"But..."

"No buts!"

Dany glanced at the bar. Jon was still there, sipping his ale next to Tyrion. At least the headmaster was nowhere to be seen. She glared back at Marg who was staring at her with a challenge in her eyes. Missy and Loras were still laughing at Marg's antics and the expression on Dany's face.

_It has been DAYS since I had the chance to kiss him..._ And she did want to see him drop his too cool for school expression. She wanted to see the wolf again... and she was feeling reckless.

She narrowed her eyes at Marg, "Fine!"

It must have been the alcohol that suffused her system because otherwise, she couldn't explain where she got the courage to march right up to him in a room full of her classmates.

She stopped right in front of him and had just enough time to see his eyes widen in surprise before she leaned forward, clutching his lapels in both hands, and pressed her mouth to his.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds before she pulled away, staring at him, completely dazed with her own boldness. He was staring back at her, utterly dumbfounded, lips slightly parted and eyes shifting from gray to black to a hint of red in the space of a second.

_Mission accomplished._

Next to him, Tyrion was gaping at her, astonished, and Tormund roared in laughter.

She retreated back to her table hastily, face flaming red, heart racing in her chest.

Marg whooped, jumping up and down in her seat, "Giiiirl, you're on fire, I didn't think you had it in you."

"Oh Gods, oh Gods, you actually did it..." muttered Missy, staring at her, mouth open.

_Oh, you don't know the half of it..._

Dany did her best to keep her gaze away from Jon for the rest of the evening. At some point she noticed him leaving, stealing a glance when she thought, hoped, nobody was looking. He shrugged his coat on and made his way outside, Tyrion trailing after him, looking somewhat unsteady on his feet.

Dany, Missy, Loras and Marg eventually stumbled back to the castle as well, wobbling in the snow. It was a relief when they finally stepped into the entrance hall.

After bidding goodnight to Margaery and Loras, Dany and Missy unsteadily made their way into their room. Missy collapsed on her bed, groaning when she nearly missed it, almost bumping her head on the headboard.

"That was some night, wasn't it?" she murmured sleepily.

Dany could only hum in agreement.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany woke up the next morning with her mouth feeling like it was stuffed full of cotton-wool.

She tried to move her head and groaned at the sharp pain at her temple.

_Wildling ale... never again,_ she vowed silently to herself.

Considering how much she had to drink, she had an impressively solid memory of last night. She definitely remembered kissing Jon in a roomful of students. And if her addled memory was anywhere near accurate, she recalled even slipping him a bit of tongue. _Gods._

In the bed beside her, Missandei was dead asleep, head buried under her pillow. Dany glanced at her phone, it was nine o'clock. She knew from past experience that Missy, Marg and Loras were bound to stay in bed until at least eleven, possibly later.

She carefully climbed out of bed, dragged herself to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth and gingerly pulled on jeans and a t-shirt, trying not to jostle her sore head too much.

She clumsily walked down the staircase to the great hall, hand clutching the railing. It was nearly deserted. There were a few students milling about at the breakfast table, attempting to cure their hangovers with innumerable cups of coffee.

She made her way out of the great hall, walking gingerly down a corridor. She got to her destination and gently knocked on the door. It opened a few seconds later, Jon's eyes widening when he saw her.

He stepped aside to let her in, shutting the door behind her.

She collapsed on his bed, burying her head in his pillow. She heard him chuckle.

"So how hungover are you?"

"I'll never drink again."

"Uh-huh. Coffee?"

"Please."

She heard him walk around, and then the tap of his wand on the coffeepot. A moment later, the enticing aroma of freshly-brewed coffee poked her nose.

She opened her eyes and gratefully accepted a large mug.

She drank deeply, "Mmm... this stuff is so much better than what we get at breakfast. How'd you do that?"

"I have my ways."

She took another long sip, eyeing Jon over the rim of the mug.

He looked like he'd been up for a while. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and staring at her silently, leaning casually against the wall.

"What?" she mumbled from behind the mug. She was pretty sure she knew _what_.

He quirked an eyebrow, "You know what...you kissed me. In a room full of people."

She sighed, putting the coffee mug down on the bedside table, "It was a dare. Marg dared me to kiss you."

"Your friend is a menace."

Dany smiled, "She really is, but..."

"But...?"

She fixed her eyes on his, "The truth is, I've been thinking of kissing you all evening. I just needed an excuse."

A kind of darkness fleeted over his expression and she recognized the spark of hunger in them. It mirrored her own. She knew she had been reckless last night, her actions imprudent. But she couldn't help it... couldn't resist the pull. And if she were honest with herself, she was also thrilled by the danger.

They just stared at each other in silence for a beat until Jon moved, coming to stand by the bed, leaning over her.

"You should be more careful," he whispered into her hair and she shivered, " _we_ should be more careful."

"I know," she murmured, closing her eyes, feeling drunk anew on his proximity alone.

"Luckily, Tyrion had so much to drink, I doubt he'll remember anything of last night. But that was a reckless move."

"You like me reckless."

She opened her eyes to look at him and saw the darkness again, the lust, the very same that she always felt around him. Like a lick of fire on her skin.

"Come here," she murmured, tugging at his shirt to bring him down to the bed.

He stretched out on the bed beside her, pulling her gently into his arms, her back to his chest, "Won't your friends miss you?"

She waved her hand dismissively, "They're dead to the world, I have at least two more hours before they crawl out of their beds."

He was silent for a second, interlacing his fingers with hers.

"I do like you reckless," he murmured into her hair, hot breath ruffling the silvery strands slightly, making her shiver, "you made me near crazy, kissing me like that."

"Yeah?" she whispered, "kiss me."

Jon tipped her head back gently and pressed his lips to hers, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. He tasted of mint and coffee and something else that was so uniquely him and which Dany was getting hopelessly addicted to.

She hummed contentedly, resting her head back against his chest.

"I really want to fuck you right now but, unfortunately, I think I might vomit if I move my head too fast," she murmured, eyes closed.

He chuckled, "You're very crass when you're hungover, did you know that?"

_Marg must be rubbing off on me._ Dany giggled and then groaned when pain stabbed through her head.

"Had breakfast yet?" he murmured into her hair.

"Uhh no," she grimaced, "I don't think my stomach can handle food right now."

She scrunched her forehead when a weak ray of sun shone through the window, "And do something about this damn light!"

"As you wish, my queen." She could hear the amusement in his voice.

Jon flicked his wand at the window. A moment later, the curtain was blessedly drawn and the room plunged into semi-darkness.

She cracked an eye open to see him placing his wand at his side. She reached a hand over him and picked it up, running her fingers gently over it. She'd never seen a wand such as this before. The wood white as ash and rough to the touch.

"You know, it's rude to grab another wizard's wand without asking," he teased, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"You've grabbed mine twice already!"

"I was just giving it back to you the first time."

"And the second?" her cheeks pinkened at the memory of that day.

He smiled, knowing where her thoughts were at, "I don't recall you complaining at the time," he murmured in a low voice, making a familiar heat form in her stomach. She truly wished she was in any condition to do something about it.

"So, you mind?" she wiggled the wand in her hand.

"Not at all."

She held the wand carefully, swinging it in a graceful arc. It emitted a few golden sparks. The wand was vibrating slightly in her hand as if it longed to be... _unleashed_.

"How does it feel?"

"It feels..." she paused, trying to find an adequate word to describe the sensation, "untamed," she finally said.

Jon chuckled, "Aye, it's a bit wild."

"What's it made of? I've never seen anything like this before."

"It's Wierwood."

Dany's eyes widened in surprise, "That's really rare."

"This one was forged for me from the branch of a heart tree in Winterfell."

"A sacred tree? Wow..." she looked at it in wonder, "and the core?"

She could feel him smile behind her, "Direwolf hair."

"How fitting. Makes sense it would feel so wild then... just like its owner."

He playfully snapped his teeth at her and she giggled, her heart warming at being close to him again.

She must have dozed off, wrapped tightly in Jon's arms because at some point she was being kissed awake.

"Hey," he murmured against her lips.

"Hey you," she whispered back, tangling her hand in his hair to bring his lips back to hers.

His lips parted willingly and their tongues touched, tangling sweetly together. Dany rose up on her knees, pushing closer, coming to sit in his lap. He made a sound deep in his throat as her hands slid to his chest, clawing at his shirt.

He pushed her away gently, breathing hard. She responded by dropping her mouth down to kiss his neck, tongue darting out for a taste. He gave a sharp intake of breath.

"Dany, it's almost eleven," he murmured.

Dany froze and groaned in frustration. She had to go or risk arousing suspicion.

"This is so fucking unfair," she muttered. Ever since the Christmas holiday ended she couldn't even sneak a moment alone with him and it was grating on her nerves.

He sighed, "Dany, maybe..."

"Maybe what?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

He pushed her gently off him, getting up from the bed. He went to stare out the window.

"It's unfair to you," he muttered, running a hand through his hair, not looking at her, "I think- maybe we shouldn't-"

Her eyes narrowed, "Jon Snow, if you finish that sentence I'm going to hex you into oblivion."

He had the grace to blush. With an effort, he brought his eyes back to hers. She could see it there. _Guilt._

She got up from the bed, coming to stand by his side. She grabbed his elbow, fixing her determined eyes on him.

"I want to be with you," she whispered, looping her arms around his neck, "I don't care if it's difficult."

He said nothing, just curved an arm loosely around her waist, drawing her to him. His eyes were shuttered when she looked at them again.

"You should go," he said, his tone unreadable.

Despite the graveness of his tone, he kissed her before she left. A slow, deep, lingering kiss. Afterwards, Dany moved away from him regretfully. She left his room and sped off towards her dormitory.

She snuck silently inside. Missy was thankfully still dead asleep, her head buried under her pillow.

She changed to her PJs, climbing back into her bed and, when Missandei woke up, pretended she'd been there all along.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He truly wished he could punch something.

It had been easy, when it was just them during the Christmas vacation, to stay enclosed in a bubble, to pretend that this was ok, that this was NORMAL. To push his misgivings aside and dive headfirst into her. But now... now the guilt started gnawing at him again. He knew it was wrong. If he had any shred of decency, he would end it now, before he caused her any more pain.

He was a fool. He was being selfish, he knew that, but try as he might, he couldn't tear himself away from her.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Once everyone had finally woken up and dragged themselves out of their respective beds, Dany and Missy climbed down to the common room. They were joined shortly after by Loras and then Marg, who climbed inside, puffy-eyed and tousle-haired.

The next few hours were relatively subdued. Everybody was battling different degrees of hangovers and seeming to lack the energy to do anything even remotely strenuous.

They revived a bit over lunch, which comprised of a hearty beef stew and fluffy white bread. Dany was feeling almost back to normal, enough to suggest they practice some Synergy Spellcasting before classes started again.

After some grumbling and half-hearted protests by Margaery, they all finally consented. They agreed to only practice non-offensive spells to be able to practice indoors. Nobody was in the mood to step out of the castle and into the cold outside.

They settled in the Gryffindor common room, which was blissfully empty save for them. The comfy armchairs and the roaring fire in the hearth made for a much nicer location than an empty classroom.

They spent a few minutes trying to figure out which spell they were to try powering-up.

"Frostbolt?" suggested Loras, who was settled on the armchair closest to the fire, "like the one I cast in class?"

Missy wrinkled her nose, "I don't fancy covering the common room in snow, I rather like being warm..."

"Shattered Earth?" suggested Marg, "the ground will go back to normal once it dissipates."

"Whatever it may break on the way won't, though," Dany reminded her, "why don't we try Power Barrier?" she suggested instead, "We can see if we can make it larger and longer-lasting."

They all agreed.

Loras, who was the only one of them who felt the effects of synergy magic first-hand was the first one to try to lend his magic. 

After almost thirty minutes of failed attempts, Missy, who was holding Loras' hand, suddenly squealed, "I think I feel something," she said excitedly. The Power Barrier she was casting, although not very large, was getting visibly more clearly defined than it was previously.

Dany and Marg cheered, encouraged by what they considered a breakthrough. Unfortunately, however, Loras was getting tired and drained, just like Professor Snow had warned them would happen as a result of using this kind of magic for extended periods of time.

After maintaining Power Barrier for a long while, Missy was also getting tired and in need of a break.

Dany and Marg were the next to try, with Dany attempting to lend Marg her magic. 

"It's just not working," Marg moaned, after almost twenty minutes of casting and re-casting Power Barrier, "I can't do this for much longer." She was still suffering from the after-effects of a major hangover and elected to go back and sit by the fire.

Loras got up from his armchair, offering Dany an encouraging smile, "I think I'm up for one more try if you like."

Dany smiled gratefully and clasped his hand with hers, "you're the best, Lor." 

She readied her wand, closing her eyes and concentrating. Then something shifted, like a rush of wind inside of her. It felt like her magic was being distilled, concentrated and was flowing through her, rushing through her veins like a lightning bolt, flowing out of her hand and into Loras'.

The Power Barrier he was casting suddenly glowed a bright gold, becoming clearer and stronger than ever before.

"Holy hells, I think you're doing it, Dany," he exclaimed excitedly, wand stretched before him and trained on the bell-shaped shield.

Dany smiled, unable to answer just then, busy concentrating on the spell. She fixated her mind solely on the flow of magic through her, feeling her mind relax and open, the magic surging freely.

Suddenly the connection broke. Loras abruptly pulled his hand from hers and lowered his wand. The barrier vanished, leaving the room darker than it was before.

Dany's eyes snapped open in surprise, "What happened?" she asked, confused, eyeing Loras who seemed faintly flustered, his cheeks turning pink.

"Uh- nothing," he said hastily, "I'm just tired, is all, I think we should stop for today."

Missy and Marg, who were sprawled on the plush carpet in front of the fire, nodded in agreement.

Dany kept staring at Loras, completely baffled. Loras' peculiar demeanour reminded her of the way he'd acted during the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, after Jon had lent him his magic. She remembered Loras' description of the feeling he had.

She was starting to suspect she knew what it was Loras was feeling, making apprehension coil itself in the pit of her stomach.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty sure this is the longest chapter yet. I hope it was enjoyable.
> 
> Thank you for reading, always happy to hear your thoughts <3


	11. Dragonrider

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi,
> 
> Feels like it's been a while from some reason.
> 
> Enjoy!

  


The end of the holiday season saw the rest of the students trickle back to the castle within a few days. The common rooms, hallways and dining hall suddenly felt a lot more crowded and noisy than before.

"Were there that many students here before the holidays," Marg inquired on Monday during breakfast, staring at a pair of second-year girls who were passing by, "I could swear that these two weren't here before."

Dany glanced up from her porridge, "Wynafryd and Wylla? They were here last year."

"They all look the same to me," Marg huffed.

Dany trailed after Missy and Loras into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, heart fluttering slightly in her chest. She glanced at Jon who seemed to be in an all-business kind of mood. After everyone had taken their seats, he rose from his perch on the edge of his desk, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I have the results of the exams you took just before the end of the term," he announced, "most of you did reasonably well. Those who didn't, I expect you to work more diligently to catch up... or risk failing this class."

Oblivious to or ignoring the scandalized whispers that followed his statement, Jon tapped his wand on his desk, the stack of papers that was sitting there rising into the air, the papers zooming to each of them, coming to lay face down on their respective desks.

Dany reached her hand out and lifted the edge of the paper to glance at the mark scrawled at the top left corner of her exam paper.

 _Outstanding_. There was also a hand-scribbled note from Jon that said _"Well done"_ in a loopy untidy scrawl.

She bit her lip, smiling to herself. If she didn't know any better she would think her special _relationship_ with Jon had affected her grade. But she knew Jon Snow well enough by now to know that he would only give her the grade befitting her merit. And she rocked that exam, that she knew for sure. She caught his eye for a moment and recognized the slight quirk of his lip as he inclined his head slightly in her direction. She grinned back at him, pride blossoming in her chest.

She glanced at Missy questioningly and the girl proudly lifted the edge of her own paper in Dany's direction, letting her glimpse the red "O" scrawled on her paper. Dany smiled and gave her a silent thumbs-up. Loras was equally happy at his own "Exceeds Expectations", which was the second-best mark, since he was initially convinced he had badly fumbled the practical part of the exam. She caught a glimpse of Ramsay's deranged smile. No telling whether that meant his was a good or bad grade.

Once everybody had finished whispering amongst themselves and comparing notes about their respective grades, Jon declared that the day's lesson was to be devoted, once again, to Synergy spellcasting.

"We'll be discussing some of the theory today," he said, "open your textbooks, chapter fourteen."

The next hour was spent discussing obscure terms such as _'Energy flow'_ and _'Magical surge'_. By the end of the lesson, Dany felt like her brain had been wrung out and twisted.

Jon then dismissed them with instructions to practice as they'd go back to the practical part in future lessons.

Dany tried to catch his eye as she left the classroom, but he was unfortunately accosted by some frantic-looking students who had, apparently, failed the end-of-term exam.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


After lunch that day, Dany, Missy, Marg and Loras were walking across the entrance hall when they saw a small group of people gathered around the notice board, chatting excitedly.

"Hmm... what's going on here?" Marg pushed curiously through the crowd to read the notice posted there.

"Oooh," she exclaimed excitedly, "there's going to be a combat magic demonstration for all students!"

"Does it say who will be demonstrating?" asked Dany, coming to stand next to Marg, eyes scanning the paper eagerly.

"Hmm, nope..."

Dany wondered whether Jon was involved. It made sense, him being the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. And they'd already seen firsthand how accomplished he was when it came to offensive and defensive magic. He never mentioned anything about it, but she hadn't had a chance to speak to him in private in days. She felt a small pang in the vicinity of her heart. _I miss him_.

"When is it?" asked Missy, bringing Dany out of her reverie.

Marg scanned the notice to its end, "tonight," she said happily. They started walking away, still discussing the upcoming demonstration.

"So who do you think it's going to be?" asked Missy.

"Gotta be Professor Snow, right?" said Loras, "he _is_ the Defence teacher..."

"I donnow," said Marg, frowning, "I hear Professor Martell used to be a duelling champion in his youth, they used to call him The Viper. Maybe it's him..."

"In any case," she perked up, "we won't have to wait long to find out."

At seven forty-five that evening the four of them went back to the Great Hall.

The dining tables had vanished to leave a large empty area in the center of the room. The room was brightly lit by torches shining up high on the walls.

The demonstration seemed to have intrigued most of the school, as the room was extremely crowded. Students were looking around in anticipation, chattering excitedly. 

Then the large doors swung open and in came Professors Snow and Martell and Headmaster Seaworth. They marched into the room, coming to stand at the very center.

Headmaster Seaworth raised his arms and the chatter died down immediately.

"Welcome, students, to our combat magic demonstration by two incredibly talented wizards."

Professor Martell bowed theatrically when the students cheered, as if he were a stage-performer, while Jon just nodded his head, expression unreadable.

"I will now let our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher explain more about tonight's presentation."

Jon stepped forward, the crowd silencing at once to listen. All eyes were on him.

"You may have seen demonstrations of A Wizard's Duel before," he started, voice strong and clear in the huge room, "this is nothing of the sort. In an actual real-life battle, there won't be any niceties, your opponent will not play fair," he gestured to himself and Professor Martell, "we are here to give you a taste of what it would be like in the real world."

He stepped back from Martell and instructed all students to stand back and align themselves along the walls. The students did as they were told. The excitement in the air was palpable.

"Headmaster, if you please..."

Headmaster Seaworth stepped back and raised his wand. Silvery beams of light shot from the end of it, creating a giant cage-like structure in the center of the room. It encased the two professors, separating them from the crowd. The structure glowed bright silver for a few seconds and then faded to a dull gray.

"This barrier is here for your protection," said Jon, voice slightly distorted by the shield, "stand back and observe carefully."

The professors stepped back, facing each other from opposite sides of the cage encasing them.

There were a few seconds of rapt silence and then it started so abruptly, most of the students gasped.

Jon waved his wand, drawing a complicated sigil in mid-air. It glowed with golden light for a second and then emitted a near-blinding golden beam, aimed towards Oberyn.

Oberyn raised his wand, lightning-fast, conjuring what looked like a black hole in mid-air. The hole swallowed the golden beam until it exploded in a shower of sparks, the sigil fading into nothingness.

Jon was already moving his wand again, his arm a blur, causing three spectral wolves to dart towards Oberyn, growling and baring giant spectral teeth. Oberyn's counterspell froze the beasts in a shiny crystal-like structure until they faded from existence.

Jon fired another spell that caused the walls to shake with the force of its blast, Oberyn conjuring a thick curved shield, that rebounded the spell back towards Jon. Jon was forced to duck and conjure a bell-shaped barrier to encase himself, the force of the rebounded spell knocking him flat on his back. He sprang back to his feet in a fluid motion, facing Oberyn again. 

His eyes were glowing bright and feral. Dany thought he looked quite like a Direwolf at that moment, clearly in his element.

Oberyn pressed his advantage, advancing towards Jon, twirling his wand like a baton, shooting bright white sparks.

It went on back and forth so fast, Dany was afraid to blink lest she missed something.

They were battling closer and closer to each other. Oberyn flung his wand back and then brought it forward in an arc. There was an explosion and Jon was blasted off his feet to the floor, Oberyn came forward, his wand trained on Jon, when Jon finally moved his leg in a swift kick, sweeping his opponent's feet from under him. The wand flew out of Oberyn's hand to land several feet away on the floor. Jon now stood, his wand aimed at Oberyn's throat.

After a few seconds of shocked silence, the crowd erupted into deafening applause.

Jon offered his hand to Oberyn, pulling him to his feet. They both bowed to the crowd. Oberyn with a flourish and exaggerated hand gestures, Jon with what looked more like a nod than anything else.

Dany, Missy, Marg and Loras applauded along with everyone else.

"That was so awesome," said Marg happily, "I think I've just gained a new appreciation for old Martell..."

"He's not that old."

"Come on, he's ancient. Especially next to Professor Snow."

"That's hardly a fair comparison, Martell is in his forties, Snow's like... twenty-five or something," Loras said, rolling his eyes.

"Twenty-four," Dany corrected him automatically, realizing her mistake a second later when her friends turned to goggle at her.

"Uhh- Umm... his date of birth was in The Animagus Registry," she stuttered, hoping against hope that it was true.

"Right..." Marg shrugged and turned back to look at their teachers, who were now surrounded by a large knot of excited students, answering questions.

"Speaking of Professor Snow," she whispered to them, "didn't that just make him even more fuckable than before?"

Dany rolled her eyes at her but felt the heat rising in her cheeks all the same. It was all she could do not to march straight over to him and drag him to some dark corner so she could have her wicked way with him.

"You know, it feels like we're learning a lot of combat-related magic this year," mused Dany, as they walked out of the great hall, "first in Defence Against the Dark Arts, then there was this Fire Fusion potion in Professor Martell's class and now this..."

"You have a point," said Missy thoughtfully, "I wonder why that is."

"Maybe they decided we should get more hands-on experience," Margaery suggested, "it really is a lot more exciting than what we've had before," she added approvingly.

Everybody nodded in agreement. They separated at the bottom of the staircase, Marg heading towards the Slytherin common room while the rest of them headed to the Gryffindor tower.

None of her friends seemed to be bothered by the revelation that they were piling it heavy on the combat magic this year, but it caused an uneasy sensation to settle in the pit of Dany's stomach. Jon's past as an Auror notwithstanding, it still seemed like a lot.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


January rolled into February and Dany was becoming increasingly frustrated by not being able to spend any time alone with Jon.

Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons became partly comforting, because she got to at least spend an hour or two in his presence, partly excruciating, because she couldn't touch or kiss him or show him any sort of affection at all.

And there was this little nagging doubt, this fear eating away at her. Wondering whether he was still even interested. Maybe this was too difficult for him. Maybe she wasn't worth the trouble. He could find somebody else, closer to his own age, somebody who wasn't his _student_.

Her frustration was causing her to be short with her friends, who turned increasingly annoyed by her shifting moods.

"Gods, Dany, calm the fuck down, will you?" said Loras during lunch one day when Dany shoved a giant salad bowl in his direction in an attempt to reach the breadbasket. 

The bowl tipped dangerously, nearly upending over his lap.

"Well, it's in my way, where do you expect me to put it?" huffed Dany angrily, grabbing a roll from the basket and a butter knife in a menacing sort of gesture.

"I have a great idea for a place you can put it..." Loras muttered under his breath.

Dany ignored him and continued buttering her roll.

"You know, I bet some one-on-one time with Professor Snow would cheer you up," Marg piped in.

Dany's butter knife fell to the table with a clatter, "Uhh, w-what?"

"We have career advice coming up this week, haven't you seen the notices?" Missy inquired.

"Huh?"

Missy rummaged in her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She thrust it in Dany's direction.

Dany unfolded the paper and quickly scanned its content. _Oh_. All seventh-year students were required to attend a personal meeting with their Head of House to discuss future career paths. She was scheduled to meet with Professor Jon Snow during her free period after lunch the next day.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


During lunch the following day Dany could barely eat out of sheer nerves. Once lunch was over, she made her way up a staircase and down a corridor to his office.

Just as she was approaching the door, it opened and Brienne stepped out. She said a polite goodbye to Professor Snow and hurried down the corridor, presumably to her next class.

Dany approached the open door slowly. Jon was standing by his desk, looking out the window. He turned his eyes to her when he heard her footsteps.

"Miss Targaryen," he gestured her in, "please come in and shut the door."

"Thank you, professor," she stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

A moment passed while they stared at each other in silence. Then Jon flicked his wand and the lock on the door clicked. Dany could feel the tension mounting just then, it was as though the very air crackled with electricity.

"So... did you miss me?" she asked, a nervous sort of excitement coiling in the pit of her stomach.

His voice was dark and dangerous when he replied, "Why don't you come closer and find out?"

Her bag dropped to the floor as she closed the distance between them. Jon met her half-way, sliding his hands under her bottom to lift her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, crushing her mouth to his in a heated kiss. Her arms locked around his neck, one hand sinking into his hair.

The kiss was messy, frenzied. Jon wobbled slightly with the force with which she slammed into him, stumbling backwards into the wall. His hands ran up and down her back greedily. After a few long moments, the need to breathe won out and they finally came up for air, both shaky and out of breath.

"I guess I don't need to ask if you missed me," he murmured against her lips and she giggled, unable to resist the urge to bite his lip playfully, making him jerk against her.

_It's been too damn long._

"Maybe a little," she murmured teasingly, positively lightheaded from being able to touch him again.

"A little, huh?"

"Ok, a lot."

He chuckled and brushed his lips against hers again, putting her back on the ground and leaning against the wall.

Dany crossed her arms in front of her. "Does that mean you missed me, then?" she asked. She knew he did, based on the explosive reception he just gave her, but she wanted to hear the words.

He fixed his gaze on her, a ghost of a smile on his lips, "Don't you know?"

She raised her eyebrow, "Say it."

His eyes darkened as his arm shot out, curling around her waist and pulling her flush against him again.

"It's torture to be so close to you all the time and not be able to touch you," he growled in her ear, making her gasp.

She felt heat spread all through her. _Damn you, Jon Snow._

Her left hand came up to tangle in his curls, pressing his mouth close to hers again, her lips parting willingly to admit his tongue into her mouth.

After a couple of minutes, Jon regretfully pulled his lips away from hers. Dany groaned in protest, hand clutching at the front of his shirt.

"We should be speaking about your career plans, you know," he murmured.

She huffed and rolled her eyes, "If we must..."

He disentangled himself from her, sitting in his chair and tugging her into his lap. She looped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Is that how you give career advice to all your students?" she teased.

"Aye, every single one."

"Even the guys?"

"Especially the guys."

She giggled and kissed him again. She couldn't seem to stop doing that.

"So," he started, "Any idea what you want to do once you leave The Academy?"

"Not really," she shrugged, at the moment content to just be with him, "I haven't really thought about it, I guess."

"You're a seventh-yeah and you've never thought about what you want to do after you graduate?"

"Well..."

"Yes?"

"I thought-" she started and stopped, unsure, "I was thinking of maybe becoming an Auror," she murmured quietly.

"I sense a 'but' coming..."

"But... I-" she sighed, "I don't know if I can handle it... after what happened to my brother."

He turned her to face him, cupping her face gently and breathing an encouraging kiss against her lips.

"Tell me."

Dany took a deep breath.

"My eldest brother, Rhaegar," she started, "he was an Auror," she was silent for a moment, memories surfacing, and then continued, "he died, on duty."

"I'm so sorry, Dany." his hand was a comforting pressure against her back.

She wiped her eyes, needing to get it all out, "He was a great wizard, strong, capable, brave... He and his crew were chasing some dark wizards, there was an explosion..."

_Felfire._

She sniffed and fought the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

"I was scared, I am scared," she confessed, "Rhaegar's death has been hard on my parents... my mother is a shell of her former self, same with my father," she sighed wistfully.

They were silent for a few minutes, just holding each other.

"Do you think I'd be a good Auror?" she whispered eventually.

Jon blinked and tilted her chin up to meet his eyes, "you'd be amazing at it," he murmured.

"I think you're biased,"

"Am I, now?" he quirked up an eyebrow, "would you say I've been going easy on you in class?"

"You're a nightmare, actually."

"Aye, because you're good," he pushed her away slightly to fix his gaze on hers, "you're smart, determined and talented," he breathed, "you can be anything you want to be."

She just couldn't help herself. She kissed him again, a hard, frantic kiss that caused molten lava to pool in her stomach.

Jon groaned, "Dany... I have another student coming soon," he pushed her away gently, breathing hard, "I'd rather not be hard as a rock when they get here."

"You're no fun," she said with an exaggerated pout. She rested her head on his shoulder instead, running her fingers delicately over his bicep, tracing the contours of the Direwolf inked there.

"I wish I could be a dragonrider," she whispered against his skin.

"A dragonrider... like your ancestors."

She smiled wistfully, "Yeah... just like them. A Targaryen dream, I guess," she sighed, "I wish dragons still existed."

"Aye, I do too."

They held each other for the rest of the meeting, Jon explaining about the various character and aptitude tests performed at the Ministry of Magic that aspiring Aurors were required to undergo.

With only a minute to go, Dany climbed off his lap and gave him a last lingering kiss.

"I'll miss you," she whispered, feeling a lump forming in her throat.

"I'll miss you, Dany," he murmured, her face cupped in his hands, "we'll find a way to spend some time together soon, I promise."

Then there was a knock on the door and they knew their time was up.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


February had always been cold, but it seemed colder than usual this year. Snow continued to fall, thick and heavy on the ground, accompanied by bitter winds and icy sleet.

One Monday morning in February Dany was jolted awake when her three best friends all hopped into her bed with cries of glee.

"Happy nineteenth, Dany," they chorused and hugged her.

"You guys..." Dany laughed, happy tears forming in her eyes. They remembered, of course they did. They were her family now, even more so than her real one.

They pulled her out of bed and into breakfast. Marg proudly presenting her with a small cake, courtesy of the house-elves in the kitchen.

The icing was done in red and black and depicted small dragons, spitting fire into the sky.  
There was a candle in the middle, shaped like a dragon egg, complete with a baby dragon's head poking out of it.

Margaery waved her wand with a flourish, lighting the candle. The wick protruded from the baby dragon's mouth, making it look as though it was breathing fire.

"Make a wish, sweetie," she said warmly to Dany, as they all crowded around her, hugging her shoulders.

Dany closed her eyes and blew, her friends cheering behind her.

"So what did you wish for?" asked Missy, already cutting the cake into quarters, handing the slices around.

"She can't tell you or it won't come true, of course," said Marg, before Dany had a chance to open her mouth.

She winked to Dany as she accepted a large slice of birthday cake from Missy.

Dany smiled at her, digging into her cake. She had no intention of telling them what she wished for. At least, she thought to herself, she only had to wait until tonight to see whether her wish came true.

The day's Defence against the Dark Arts lesson was dedicated to learning a nifty little spell called Cloak of Shadows.

It was a spell designed to conceal a person from view for a short period of time.

"You must be stationary for it to work," explained Jon, "if you move, the spell breaks. Additionally, it works best in the dark or semi-dark, it's near useless in direct sunlight."

"What good is it if you can't move while casting it?" sneered Ramsay Bolton from somewhere in the back of the class.

"It's very useful," replied Jon, frowning at him, "concealment lets you initiate the fight when it suits you, gives you the element of surprise. It is therefore extremely valuable in a combat situation. It may also help your escape if the odds are stacked against you."

Jon raised his wand, drawing the curtains over the windows and plunging the room into semi-darkness.

"Look carefully now..." he stepped back to stand by a wall and swung his wand, spinning around in a full circle. Then he just seemed to... vanish. Everybody was pointing and whispering, but Dany could see that he didn't actually vanish. It was as though the shadows in the room had curved around him, partially concealing him from view. He was still visible, but just a shadow.

After another short demonstration of the wand movement, they all spread around the room to practice. The spell turned out to be easier to perform than the ones they'd learned so far this year. Most of the students seemed to make reasonable progress, and Dany eventually managed to conceal herself so well that she managed to startle Loras when he inadvertently walked by her hiding spot.

At the end of the lesson, when everyone was busy collecting their things, Jon cleared his throat and briefly caught her eye. She took it to mean he wanted to talk to her privately without drawing attention.

Missy, thankfully, had already left a minute before to go to the bathroom, and Loras had hurried out to meet Renly, so at least she wouldn't have to come up with an excuse as to why she was dawdling. She milled about, slowly gathering her things, waiting for everyone to leave.

When the classroom emptied save for the two of them, Jon pulled out his wand and pointed it, over his shoulder, at the door. It closed and locked with a snap.

Dany smiled slowly, leaning casually against a desk.

"Yes... Professor?" she drawled, eyes fixed on Jon as he moved slowly closer.

When he was standing a mere inch away, he hooked his arm around her waist, tugging her to him for a slow, deep kiss. She sighed against his mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

He broke the kiss shortly after to whisper in her ear, "Happy birthday, Dany."

Her heart soared. "How did you know?" she murmured, running her hands through his hair, enjoying the silky feel of it between her fingers.

"Magic," he teased and she giggled.

"My student file, you mean?"

"I used a spell to flip the pages."

"So..." He hesitated for a second and Dany raised her eyebrows in question, "I know it's probably a bad idea, but do you think you can get away tonight?"

Dany's heart swelled in her chest like a balloon, "I'll see what I can do," she murmured, pulling at his hair gently, bringing his mouth to hers for another kiss.

She regretfully released him a moment later, needing to get back to her friends before they started wondering where she was.

"Until tonight then," she called back to him as she opened the door to leave, looking at him over her shoulder and tossing her hair back. She left the classroom, heart quivering in excitement.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany hurried to the great hall and joined her friends who were already seated at the lunch table, digging into large bowls of soup.

"So," Marg started, pointing at Dany with her fork, "we're going to celebrate tonight."

"What are we doing?" asked Missy, who was nibbling at the edge of a slice of bread she had dipped in her bowl.

"Getting drunk, of course," beamed Marg, "I bet I can get the elves in the kitchen to part with some more wine."

"Ugh, after new year's eve I'm not so sure I'll ever want to drink again," muttered Dany.

Marg rolled her eyes, "I'm going to get us a nice Dornish Red, maybe some Arbor Gold, not disgusting Wildling Ale... Besides, no way I'm letting your birthday pass by without a party," she declared resolutely.

And so it was decided.

The rest of the day passed in a flurry of lessons. When the last lesson of the day was concluded, Dany and her friends hurried back to their respective dormitories to get ready to what Marg had taken to calling 'Dany's Birthday Bash'.

Knowing Marg, Dany was slightly nervous as to what it would entail.

Apparently, Marg's idea of a birthday bash was a lot of booze and a lot of people. The disused classroom they had found for the occasion was crammed with seventh-year students who were glad to partake in the surprisingly large amounts of alcohol that Marg had somehow managed to procure.

"The house-elves gave you all THAT?" Loras asked Marg, casting a suspicious glance over the large number of bottles that were standing on a table in the corner.

"I may have paid a certain pub a visit," said Margaery with a wink, "couldn't just have a few measly bottles of wine for Dany's party..."

"Aw, Marg, you really shouldn't have," Dany protested.

"It's your nineteenth birthday, Dany," Marg rolled her eyes, "come on, let's party!"

The room was full of a buzzing noise from all the conversations going on. People were busy chatting, drinking and flirting. 

Dany wondered how many of them actually knew it was her birthday and how many were just there for the free booze. Not that she particularly cared, she just longed for the evening to be over so she could sneak off to see Jon. But she knew she couldn't appear to be bored and impatient, not at her own birthday party.

So she chatted with her friends and let Marg keep refilling her wine glass. She was trying to somewhat pace herself since she didn't want to be stupid drunk when she went to see Jon. She had no idea what he was planning, but she knew without a doubt that she'd want remember every second of it.

She'd had to fend Daario off at some point when he came by to give her a birthday hug.

"You know, Dany, he's kinda cute," remarked Marg, following him with her eyes when he stalked off, an air of disappointment around him, "you should give him another chance."

"I'm not interested," mumbled Dany, busying herself with her wineglass, running her finger restlessly over the rim.

"Come on, it's been like _forever_ since you had a date," Marg pressed, "didn't you have fun with him at the Yule Ball last year?"

"I was drunk."

"He's still cute when you're sober."

"I'm just not that into him."

"So let's find you some other guy," Marg started looking around as if expecting a horde of cute guys to spring into existence under her very eyes, "it's just not possible for someone as hot as you to still be alone."

"I'm happy as I am, Marg."

"Oh, come on, it's your birthday," Marg pouted, "let's find you a cute guy to make out with," she sniggered, "since hot Professor Snow is not an op-"

"I SAID, I'm happy as I am, can you please let it go?!" Dany couldn't keep her voice from rising in anger. She knew Marg meant well, but it was grating on her nerves. It'd been difficult enough to keep her relationship with Jon a secret and she didn't need Marg trying to play matchmaker on top of it.

Marg stared at her in shock.

Loras, who seemed to have sensed trouble, swooped in and wrapped his arm around Marg's shoulders.

"Come on, sis, Dickon is looking for you."

And he drew her away, Dany giving him a grateful smile.

Missy and Grey came to sit next to Dany, completely oblivious to the drama that took place there just moments before.

The party continued on in the same vein for a little while longer until almost all the booze had been consumed and people started filing out, going back to their dormitories.

Dany hugged Marg tightly.

"Thank you," she murmured, "I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"Hey..." Marg hugged her back, "you know I only want what's best for you, sweetie, you're like family to me," she raised her head to poke a finger at Dany's chest, "aaand that's not just the booze talkin'!"

Dany smiled and sighed, a lump forming in her throat, "As you are to me, Marg."

Dany and Missy stumbled back into their dormitory eventually, brushed their teeth and slid into their respective beds.

Missy seemed to have fallen asleep almost immediately.

Dany waited an extra twenty minutes to be sure and silently slid out of bed, pulled on her clothes and snuck out of the room.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany jumped into Jon's arms as soon as she entered his room. She giggled when he lifted her up slightly, her toes brushing the ground. She locked her legs around his waist and gave him a big, sloppy kiss on the lips.

Jon quirked up an eyebrow in amusement, dipping his head to taste her lips again, "Hmm, light-bodied, sweet, spicy, somewhat nutty... Dornish Red? How drunk are you?"

"I'm not drunk," Dany giggled and stumbled a little when he placed her back on her feet, "maybe a little... don't worry," she purred, stepping closer, running her hands over his chest, "I'm sober enough for this."

Jon chuckled and pulled her to him to kiss her thoroughly, his hand pressing to the small of her back.

"Good but... we're not doing _this_ right now."

"We're not?" Dany pouted, "it's my birthday..."

"Yes, and that's why you're getting a birthday present," he murmured.

"I am?" Dany perked up, jerking out of his arms and looking around, trying to spot something that looked like a birthday gift laying about.

"Well, where is it then?"

Silently, Jon pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her.

It was a narrow vial with some sticky substance inside. It swirled around out of its own volition.

Dany accepted the vial, holding it out to the light curiously.

"Is that... a memory?" she asked in wonder. She'd never actually seen a bottled memory before, only read about them.

"Aye, it is."

"Yours?"

"No."

"Whose then?"

Jon smiled, "You'll see."

Dany's heart thumped excitedly. She had never been inside a memory before. The books she had read about it described it as a one-of-a-kind experience.

"So.. how do I do this?"

Jon smiled, raising his wand and pointing it towards a cabinet in the corner of the room. Its door opened to reveal a shallow stone basin. Dany stepped closer and examined it carefully.

It was a beautiful thing. There were runes and other ancient symbols etched into it. It was filled to the brim with what seemed like smoke made liquid, which was shimmering in a silvery light.

"It's beautiful," she said in wonder, "I've never seen a Pensieve outside of books before. Is it yours?"

"Borrowed it from the headmaster," Jon carefully picked the stone basin up and brought it to the bed. 

"And what did you tell him it was for?"

Jon mumbled something that sounded like _'research'_ and Dany giggled.

He sat down on the bed, pulling Dany to sit between his spread thighs, her back to his chest. He carefully placed the Pensieve on the bed in front of her. 

Dany uncorked the vial and poured its content into the basin. The substance in it started swirling very fast. Then it subsided, becoming as smooth as glass. She thought she could make out blue sky and clouds reflecting in it.

"Are you coming with me?" she asked, peering at Jon.

Jon kissed her temple, "This is just for you. Ready?" he asked quietly. She almost thought he sounded nervous.

"Ready."

"Go ahead."

Dany took a deep breath and bent down, plunging her face into the smoky substance in the Pensieve.

The room lurched, and Dany felt like she was pitched forward, thrown headfirst inside the basin.

Then, suddenly, she was somewhere else. There were blue skies, fluffy white clouds and a blazing sun. She was in the air, sitting on something coarse and hot.

And then the realization hit her... her mouth fell open in shock and her heart almost burst in her chest.

She was airborne. She was flying. Flying... atop a _dragon._

She was almost paralyzed with disbelief, with overwhelming joy. The memory solidified in her mind, giving her context of time and space.

She was princess Alyssa Targaryen and she was soaring through the sky atop Meleys.

She laughed with uncontrollable joy. This was _wonderful._ This was everything she had always dreamed it would be.

The wind in her hair, the feeling of complete freedom, feeling like she was literally on top of the world.

Her heart soared along with the dragon as it flew over mountains and lakes, beaches and valleys. The scenery blurred with the speed as they weaved in and out of fluffy white clouds. 

The air was damp and chilly this high up, but her dragon, her Red Queen, was keeping her warm. It seemed to exude heat that warmed her from head to toe.

She patted the dragon's crimson-red scales affectionately and it gave a low pleased growl in response.

There was a connection between them, she could feel it. The dragon's presence tugged at her mind, almost like they were one. She could sense what Meleys was feeling, and at the moment she was overjoyed, happy to glide through the air in complete freedom.

There was one more thing she had always wanted to do. And now, inexplicably, she knew how.

"Dracarys!" She shouted and the dragon obliged, opening her giant mouth to expel a huge orange-red fireball into the blue sky. Dany could feel the incredible heat of it on her face.

She had never felt this free before.

They flew some more, across a wide shimmering sea, across dense forests and tiny villages. After a while, the world seemed to stutter, becoming blurry around the edges.

Dany became confused for a moment until she realized this was the memory coming to an end.

She patted the dragon again, "Thank you, girl," she murmured, pressing her lips briefly to the hot scaly skin beneath her, "I'll never forget you."

The world gradually changed around her, losing details, losing color, until it finally flickered and died. And she was back to sitting on a bed in Jon's arms.

She was speechless, breathing deeply, hardly believing still...

Jon pulled the Pensieve out of her hands gently and placed it on the bedside table.

"Did you like it?" he asked quietly, pressing his lips to her hair in a soft kiss.

"Jon, I-" she shook her head, at loss for words.

She turned in his arms instead and pressed his lips to his in a fierce kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, coaxing his lips open to press her tongue inside his mouth to tangle with his.

She wrenched away for a second, taking in the look in his eyes, dazed and happy and something else she couldn't quite identify which made her completely breathless.

"Thank you," she murmured in a quivering voice, "thank you so much, I never thought I would get to experience this, I never knew... how did you even get it?" she whispered, tracing shaky fingers across his beautiful face.

He smiled, catching her hand to press it to his chest, "I have a friend who works in the Memory Archives in the Ministry. He owed me a favour." She wasn't sure, but she thought his voice was shaking slightly.

She shook her head in wonder and kissed him again, trying to convey with actions what she wasn't sure she could say with words.

Afterwards, they lay together under the covers, naked and breathless, tangled in each other.

Dany buried her head in Jon's chest, pressing a tender kiss to the scar over his heart.

The realization came slowly, but surely. Filling every recess of her mind, leaving no space for doubt.

She was in love with him.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another quick thank you for all you guys who comment. It's always a bit nerve-wracking to post, so your ongoing support is very much appreciated.
> 
> Just a random note regarding the final chapter count for this story- not all of it is written yet, so whatever I say now is subject to change, but... my best guess at the moment is somewhere under 20. We're going to be closing in on the end game soon-ish.
> 
> 'till the next time.


	12. Dragon by Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there,
> 
> Life's been busy lately, so I'm very pleased to have this chapter done by now. I'm going to try my best to keep the weekly updates, but do understand if things take a bit longer.
> 
> So this chapter doesn't have much plot advancement (although we do see hints of what's to come). And you get to sit through another song I'm obsessed with ;) Because.
> 
> Also, one of you readers made a request when commenting on the previous chapter (well, more like a wish), and.. I decided to oblige ^^
> 
> Enjoy!

  


  


Despite the fact that March had arrived, the weather remained cold. The snow had yet to melt and icy winds kept blowing.

One cold Monday morning, Dany, Missy and Loras stepped into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and took their seats. Dany smiled at Jon in what she hoped passed for a polite cordial look.

After all the students settled in their seats, Jon stepped forward. The chatter died down immediately. Jon seemed to have a gift to effortlessly keep a class silent.

Due to the still terrible weather and the futility of practicing combat magic indoors, Jon had declared they were to practice sigil drawing instead, and go back to combat magic once the weather improved.

"Sigil drawing is a very meticulous skill," he explained, "it requires focus, precision and discipline. Once you've had enough practice, it will sharpen your skills in other types of magic."

He then raised his wand, "We will start with these four basic sigils. Watch carefully." His hand then moved gracefully through the air, drawing four luminous symbols in mid-air.

"These sigils represent the elements. You will recognize this one," he indicated with his wand, "as one very similar to the one used in the Flaming Arrows spell."

The four sigils glowed in mid-air, casting an eerie glow around them.

"What are they used for?" asked Loras curiously.

"A number of spells, mostly Nature-magic," answered Jon, "all of them far too advanced for you at this time."

"Can you show us one such spell, Professor?" Brienne asked eagerly from the back of the class.

Jon crooked a faint smile, "We would need to be outdoors for these," he said, flicking his wand again, making all sigils vanish.

He showed them once again how to draw each sigil and had them spread around the room to practice.

Dany stood in a back corner of the classroom, constantly stealing glances at Jon from the corner of her eye. She waved her wand distractedly, the water sigil she was attempting to draw quivering and vanishing. _Damn_.

Eventually, Jon strolled closer to her, observing her as she tried to draw the air sigil next. It fizzled out even before completion, a clear sign that she was drawing it wrong. Jon made a disapproving noise and moved behind her, grasping her wand hand in his and directing her movements.

"You're distracted today," he murmured in her ear, his warm hand clasping hers, demonstrating the proper technique.

 _Putting your hands on me is not likely to make me any less distracted,_ she thought, suppressing a shiver, making a conscious effort to focus her mind back on the lesson.

Ever since the night of her birthday, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him, even more than before. Her feelings for him had magnified tenfold since he gave her the memory for her birthday. 

_Can he feel it?_ she wondered, _Does he know?_ She wasn't sure. Whatever force that had drawn them together was still there, simmering just beneath the surface. But now... it felt different. It felt like _more_. The realization of what she was feeling for him made her both elated and scared. She was a Gryffindor and a Targaryen, she had always been brave. But she never imagined falling in love would be so terrifying.

She completed the sigil, correctly this time. It hovered silently in mid-air.

His hand lingered just a fraction of a second more on hers before he stepped back, nodding his approval. Dany could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, desperately hoping nobody would notice, the lingering touch of his hand like a brand on her skin.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


As March progressed, Dany became restless and agitated again, frustrated at not being able to spend any time alone with Jon. It'd been exhausting, a never-ending circle. Every time they managed to spent some time together, she felt ecstatic, high on her feelings for him, her heart fuller than it had ever been. But it also had the unfortunate effect of making the time apart all the more agonizing. 

And, as much as she wished for the schoolyear to end already, she also felt nervous about the prospect. They had never discussed what would happen once she finished school. She didn't know what he was planning to do. Hells, she wasn't even sure of what _she_ was planning to do and she was afraid their paths might not converge. This thought made her stomach tie up in knots every time, so she resolved to put it out of her mind for the time being.

If his attitude during their Defence Against the Dark Arts classes were any indication, Jon was faring no better with their time apart. Dany was secretly rather pleased about that.

He had become very short and irritable when one of the students fumbled an incantation or a wand gesture, even more so than usual, and piled on essays and research assignments.

Dany started wondering whether she should remind him she was taking the class as well, and that the increased workload meant a lot less free time for her.

 _Although_ , she thought gloomily while sitting with her friends in the library, searching through dusty piles of volumes, _maybe a distraction was not such a bad idea._

" _Gods,_ this is going to take forever," moaned Loras, eyes squinting, his nose a millimeter from the book, "Snow has really been piling up on the homework lately, hasn't he?"

"And he's been even tougher than usual during class," whined Missy, who was also showing the strain, her eyes red with tiredness, "did you guys notice?"

"He obviously needs to get laid," muttered Marg, yawning and stretching her shoulders.

Even though she outwardly ignored Marg's last statement, Dany vehemently agreed.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


A few more days of this and Dany was on the verge of getting short and snippy with her friends again when something unexpected happened to flip her mood around entirely.

On Friday during lunchtime, Missy hurried over to their lunch table after her morning High Valyrian class.

"Guess what Professor Maegor told us in class today," she said excitedly, and then continued without waiting for a response, "we're going on a class trip to visit Meereen for a few days."

"That sounds like so much fun, Missy," said Marg, "I knew I should have taken High Valyrian instead of Ancient Runes," she moaned dramatically, stabbing her chicken pot pie repeatedly with her fork.

"Don't fret, sis, I'm sure you'll get to go freeze your butt on a field trip to some ancient Northern gravesite soon enough," jabbed Loras.

"That's great, Missy," said Dany, "Grey is going too, right?"

Grey, although fluent in High Valyrian just like Dany, had elected to take the class for easy credits.

"Yep, the entire class is going," said Missy happily, "we'll get to see the sights and speak to the locals," she drummed her hands excitedly on the table, "oh, I can't wait."

"When are you leaving?" enquired Dany, munching on a carrot stick.

"Monday morning," said Missy excitedly, "bright and early, we're taking the train to KL first, it will be a long trip..."

Missy went on about the places she'd like to visit and the activities they were going to participate in and Dany smiled at her enthusiasm.

It wasn't until dinner that she realized it could be an opportunity for Jon and herself to finally spend some time together, which they both desperately craved.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**_Monday_ **

Come Monday morning, Dany woke up to find Missandei's bed already empty, Missy having woken up early to travel to King's Landing along with the rest of her High Valyrian class.

After breakfast, she walked up to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom with Loras, mind still buzzing with thoughts. They hastily took their seats.

"Today we'll be discussing Ancestral Weapons," Jon began without preamble, as was his custom, "does anyone know what they are?"

Some students fidgeted and looked around. Dany saw a lot of puzzled faces. She eventually raised her hand hesitantly.

He nodded at her, "Miss Targaryen?"

"I've only read about them in passing," she said slowly, "they are supposed to be unique magical weapons for a witch or wizard. Each person has their own, the form the weapon takes is unique to the person who conjured it."

Jon nodded slightly, "Aye, that's correct." He paused for a moment.

"Ancestral weapons are your singular most valuable offensive and defensive weapon in a combat situation. The spell to conjure them is one of a kind in that it can only be cast when there is a real and actual danger to you or to others around you. It can come to you at your time of need."

"So they can't actually be conjured outside of an actual life-threatening situation?" asked Loras incredulously.

"No, the true weapon cannot."

"Then what is the point of even discussing it in class?" asked Ramsay Bolton in a contemptuous tone, "unless you're going to actually try to murder us..."

Jon frowned at him, the expression on his face suggesting he wouldn't at all mind trying to murder Ramsay, but before he had a chance to answer, Brienne interrupted, "Professor, sorry, you said _true weapon_. Does that mean that there is a version of it that can be conjured outside of battle?"

"That's precisely what I was about to say."

"What kinds of ancestral weapons are there?" asked Loras eagerly.

"They can take many shapes and forms," said Jon, idly twirling his wand, "they can take the shape of an actual weapon, a sword or a shield, or of an animal companion that will fight by your side," he shook his head, "the weapon will likely represent something meaningful, something important to you."

"So what form of the weapon can we conjure outside of battle?" asked Dany curiously.

"The spell that summons the ancestral weapon, when cast correctly, will conjure a spectral version of it," explained Jon, "the spectral weapon does not have the abilities of the true weapon, but it will allow you to practice and hone your skill."

"What's your ancestral weapon, professor?" asked Loras.

"That's a mighty personal question, Mr. Tyrell," said Jon drily, to the giggles of some of the students in the class. Dany could see the half-smile tugging at his lips.

"Did Professor Snow The Frown actually make a _joke_?" Loras asked Dany in a whisper. Dany worked hard to suppress her giggle.

Jon faced the class and drew his wand. He swung it in an intricate pattern in the air and then closed the hand around it into a fist, the wand tip pointed upwards. His other hand rested, palm open against his closed fist. He closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly. The class observed him with bated breath, the air cracked with tension.

After a couple of seconds, a large spectral sword materialized in Jon's hand. There were gasps of appreciation around the class.

"This," said Jon softly, "is Longclaw."

Dany stared at the sword in wonder.

It was a thing of beauty. There were intricate designs carved into the blade, glowing slightly with an eerie blue light. The shiny blade seemed sharp enough to inflict serious damage.

But the most remarkable part about it was undoubtedly the pommel. It was in the shape of a Direwolf, ash-white with bright red eyes.

"It's beautiful," Dany murmured, not realizing she was speaking aloud. There were approving murmurs across the room.

Jon smiled. He stepped back and swung the sword expertly, the blade slicing through the air in a blur of movement.

"This is just the spectral version of it," said Jon, "it doesn't have the true might of the ancestral weapon. The true version has been of great use to me in battle before."

 _It saved his life._ Dany couldn't explain how she knew this, but she just did. She could hear it in his voice.

There was fondness in his voice when he was looking at the sword. Even without him explaining it, Dany could tell it meant something to him.

Jon waved his wand and the sword vanished. He then faced them again, going over the wand movement once more and teaching them the silent incantation.

Afterwards, he instructed them to spread around the room and practice.

Dany closed her eyes, attempting to concentrate on the spell. Her mind, however, was so occupied with thoughts of tonight that she was having trouble thinking of anything else.

"You're not concentrating very hard," a voice murmured close to her and she opened her eyes to look into the storm-gray eyes of Jon.

"I am. Just... on _other_ things," she whispered back, the look in her eyes leaving no room for doubt as to what these other things might be.

Jon's eyes widened slightly as his cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. He cleared his throat, dragging his eyes away from hers for a moment, attempting to compose himself. Oh, how she loved that she could make him flustered so easily.

He returned his eyes to hers, composed this time. He brought a hand up, and carefully corrected her grip on the wand, his touch eliciting a shudder.

"Try again," he murmured in her ear, "concentrate."

She sighed, closing her eyes again, doing her best to banish the indecent thoughts out of her mind long enough to concentrate on the spell. She took a deep breath, attempting the conjuring again. Suddenly, a wisp of silver escaped from her wand, coiling and undulating in mid-air before vanishing.

Jon stepped back, "That's a start," he said, "keep at it." He then moved on to correct Loras's grip on his wand.

 _He's so infuriating sometimes,_ Dany thought in a mix of annoyance and longing. She could hardly wait for the evening to finally come.

By the end of the lesson, nobody had made much progress. Jon dismissed them, instructing them to practice before the next class.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


That evening after dinner, Dany hurried off to her common room and impatiently waited for her fellow students to go to bed.

An annoyingly large number of people milled about there. Sitting and chatting. Loras raised his eyebrows at her from his seat by the fire.

"You're fidgeting, what are you so nervous about?"

"Nothing," she replied too quickly, blushing a bit. She hastened to drop her gaze back to the book she had in her lap, which she had pretended to be reading for the past thirty minutes.

Eventually, when it was near midnight, the last of the students, Loras included, slowly made their way to their rooms.

Dany bade Loras goodnight and pretended to go back to her own room. She impatiently waited until she heard a door close in the distance and quickly slipped out of the common room, nervously clutching her wand.

She walked quickly, her hurried footsteps loud to her ears. She had to quickly duck into a nearby room when Professor Greyjoy passed by, frowning at a scroll in her hand.

When she finally reached her destination, she opened the door, not bothering to knock, and slipped inside.

The room was lit only by the crackling fire in the hearth, seemingly empty. Dany looked around uncertainly when suddenly the door to the bathroom opened and out stepped Jon, clad only in a towel around his narrow hips.

He had his wand in his hand and pointing at her before she had a chance to draw breath. She raised an eyebrow at him and he dropped the wand, muttering a quiet oath.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," he said in an exasperated tone.

She smiled mischievously, leaning her hip against his desk. She let her eyes travel down his body, blatantly ogling.

"Well, if you don't mind me saying," she drawled, "you don't even need the wand to deal with trespassers."

"I don't?" he quirked an eyebrow up.

"Nope. Just drop that towel. Any intruder would freeze dead in their tracks to stare."

Jon barked a laugh, "Is that so?"

"Most definitely."

"Are you an intruder, then?" he asked, slowly advancing towards her.

"Well, I did show up, unannounced," she drawled, "and I'm most definitely up to no good."

He leaned back against a wall, folding his arms over his chest. "What are you doing here?" he murmured, "won't your friends notice you're gone?"

"My roommate has gone to Meereen for a few days with the rest of her High Valyrian class," she answered, cocking her head and giving him a sly smile, "as long as I'm back on time to meet Loras for breakfast, no one will know."

She sauntered closer to him, hooking her finger in the edge of his towel, "Now, what are you going to do about that intruder in your room?"

"I have a few ideas..."

The darkening color of his eyes was her only warning. He moved so fast he was a blur of movement to her eyes. In a flash, she was pressed against a wall, Jon's bare chest was pressed to hers, mouth devouring hers in a blistering kiss.

Dany shivered when the cold Direwolf pendant pressed against her skin, her nipples puckering from the cold and Jon's proximity.

Her gaze dropped down when his lips left hers to trail down her neck, admiring the glint of the pendant against his pale skin.

"I love seeing it on you," she murmured, breath catching at the scrape of his teeth on her sensitive neck.

Jon raised his head questioningly, following her gaze down to the pendant. He smiled, pressing a tender kiss to her skin, at the same spot his teeth had just left a faint mark.

"It makes me feel like..." she trailed off, cheeks coloring.

"Like what?" his eyes probed hers.

"Like... you're mine," she mumbled, burying her head in his neck, avoiding his eye.

"I am yours." It was but a whisper, but he might as well have shouted for the resonating explosion it caused deep within her.

Her head snapped up, knees going weak at the look in his eyes and the intensity of his voice.

She crushed her mouth to his in a long, deep, bruising kiss, a wave of emotion tugging at her heart, erratic thoughts tumbling around in her mind.

_Mine._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Petyr Baelish walked down the shadowy corridor, his footsteps echoing in the empty hall. The place was dreadful. Cold, drafty, dark. The kind no amount of fire could warm or light properly. But that was fine. Baelish had always fared better under the cover of darkness.

The biggest downside, however, was the lack of creature comforts he had gotten so used to for the past years. He had grown accustomed to the servants, the food and the lavishly decorated chambers of his castle. These things he sorely missed.

But he knew, all he had to do was wait. Because of the reward... the potential reward he would get if his plan succeeded. Well, it would be glorious. It was worth every day and every night in this stinkhole of a place.

And Petyr Balish was nothing if not patient.

He arrived at his destination and pushed open the door, not bothering to knock. The man was expecting him after all.

Bolton raised his eyes when he slipped into the room. Eyes of blue, cold and hard as steel. Devoid of any emotion. Baelish was fairly sure the man was a psychopath. No matter. He knew he might have to work alongside unsavoury characters when he chose his path. The reward was worth it. It would all be worth it, in the end...

"Baelish," Bolton's voice was as cold as his eyes. And just as emotionless.

"Bolton," He took a seat across from the man, "what news?"

"We are moving forward with the plan," Bolton informed him, running his finger over his wand, a black, soulless looking thing, "I have an inside source in Azkaban, he will be able to help us secure the prisoner until he is within our grasp."

"Good," he nodded shortly. He had heard of the man they were intending to free from the notorious wizarding prison. The crimes that landed him there were... impressive. Unfortunately, he had failed his objective. Why they were to assist a person who was, essentially, a failure was beyond him. But he didn't question the orders.

"And our other problem?" he inquired instead, "are we getting closer to finding a ruse?"

"We're working on it."

"And who are 'we'?"

"The seer."

Ah, yes. The Greenseer. He thought he had a way to fool their enemies. Baelish hoped he was right. Or the plan was at great risk of failing.

"And the way in?"

Bolton turned his gaze to the empty hearth.

"We're still working on it," he said shortly.

Baelish had taken it to mean he was clueless about this. Good. Baelish preferred to be the one holding the most information. It was not the case for the time being, but... he was confident it would soon be. His minions were hard at work, after all, doing research, trying to find a solution to a very specific problem. Trying to find reason within the chaos.

Because chaos was a ladder, and Baelish was determined to be the one to climb it first.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**_Tuesday_ **

Dany sat at the breakfast table on Tuesday morning, absentmindedly poking at her cornflakes, attempting to steal glances at Jon from the corner of her eye.

He was sitting at the staff table, to the right of Headmaster Seaworth. They seemed to be having an intense discussion about something the caused a frown to deepen on Jon's face. She resolved to kiss away the frown lines later that night.

Just then a shadow fell over her. She raised her eyes from her bowl to look into the eager eyes of Daario. She sighed inwardly. She would admire his persistence if he weren't so damn annoying.

"Hi Dany," he smiled at her, "how are you doing?"

"I'm fine," she replied, glancing at Marg and Loras who were pretending to be absorbed in their food, but she knew they were listening, "how are you?"

"Good, great, listen-," he leaned closer to her, "can we speak for a moment?"

"Sure, I guess..." she sighed inwardly. She got up from the breakfast table, following him a short distance away to the corner of the hall.

"So, I had a really nice time at the Yule Ball," he started, "and I was thinking-"

"Listen, Daario," she interrupted, determined to put an end to this once and for all, "I had a nice time with you, but I'm just not... interested in you that way," she ignored his crestfallen face and determinedly continued on, "I think it's best that we just remain friends." She grabbed his hand and squeezed gently in what she hoped was a reassuring, amicable way.

"Uh- yeah, sure, you're right," he mumbled. He gave her a quick awkward hug and walked away.

Dany sighed in relief. It was awkward, but all in all, not as bad as she expected. She was relieved to put this saga behind her.

She returned to the breakfast table, meeting Marg's amused smirk.

"Don't even start," Dany grumbled, grabbing her bowl then pushing it away in disgust at the sight of the now soggy cornflakes.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany hurried through the dark corridors again under cover of darkness, taking the now familiar route towards Jon's chambers. She knocked gently on the door, deciding against ambushing him again, then quickly slipped inside to find him seated by his desk, a book in his hands.

He raised his eyes to meet hers, putting the book down on his desk. She moved closer, peeking over his shoulder at the book.

"What are you reading?"

He closed the book and handed it to her. It was _Recombinations: Beyond the limits of Magic._ She frowned, it did not sound familiar.

"What's it about?"

"It's about... new variations of old spells," he murmured, pulling her into his lap for a long, thorough kiss that left her breathless. She smiled against his lips, pulling back a bit to run her hands through his hair, slightly damp still from a recent shower. She traced her finger over his lips, smiling when he pressed a kiss to it.

She realized she had been staring for a few seconds when he quirked up and eyebrow, asking "What?"

"You're so beautiful," she murmured. He barked a laugh, shaking his head.

Dany rolled her eyes, "Don't tell me you don't know this. Almost all the girls at this school are constantly drooling over you. And some of the guys," she added as an afterthought.

He chuckled, "Pretty sure a lot more guys are drooling over you than over me," he ran a hand through her silver hair, which she left hanging free today, cascading down her back like a waterfall, "you're gorgeous."

She giggled, pleased with the compliment, "I'm not too sure about that, actually. Who have you ever seen drooling over me?"

He raised an eyebrow, "You're kidding, right? You turn heads wherever you go."

"Oh, please..."

"Oh yeah? What about that guy at breakfast today?"

"What guy?" Dany's brows furrowed in confusion, "You mean Loras? Because you're definitely a lot more his type than I am if you know what I mean..."

Jon rolled his eyes, "No, I don't mean your obviously gay friend, I meant the one you were hugging."

"Hugging? Who- oh," she suddenly remembered, "Daario. Right, I pretty much forgot about-" she stopped when she saw the frown on Jon's face, "hang on... Jon Snow, are you jealous?" she teased, looping her arms around his neck, pressing her forehead to his.

He didn't answer, dark eyes burning into hers.

She smiled, oddly touched that he would feel anywhere near insecure when it came to her. She leaned closer, pressing her lips to his in a long kiss.

"Don't you know this by now?" she breathed against his mouth when they came up for air, "I'm all yours."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


They were laying in bed, facing each other, completely naked save for the sheet covering their lower halves.  
Jon's hand cupped her face gently, pressing his lips softly to hers in a kiss, then another.

Dany sighed into his mouth, relishing the soft sweet touches after the intensity they just shared.

"Tell me something," she murmured.

"What?" 

"Something, anything, about yourself."

His hand moved, gently grasping her thigh, bringing it up to rest around his waist. He inched closer and she shuddered when she felt his tip nudge at her entrance.  
She moved to push closer, but he stilled her with a gentle hand on her hip. The sensation was both frustrating and arousing.

She gasped softly, "Are you trying to avoid the question?"

"Not at all. What do you want to know?"

"Hmm... Favourite color?"

He smiled against her lips, "Black."

"That's not a color."

"Is too."

"Agree to disagree. Cats or dogs?"

"Wolves."

"Figures. Chocolate or Vanilla?"

"Hmm..." he dropped his head to her shoulder. His tongue sneaked out, tasting her. "Definitely Vanilla," his voice was muffled by her skin and she suppressed a shiver.

"Tea or coffee?"

"There's really only one right answer here."

"True... Winter or summer?"

"Do you know me at all?"

Dany giggled.

His hand drew lazy circles on her thigh as he was talking. He pressed closer to her, so he was half-in, half-out. Dany drew in a shuddering breath, eyes closing, tremors traversing her body.

She tried desperately to pull him closer but his hand on her hip prevented her from doing so. His lips pressed gentle kisses to her neck, pausing to nibble teasingly every now and then. His fingers travelled down her body, teasing her nipples with just the tips before sliding down... down to brush, feather-light, across her most sensitive point. It was _maddening_.

"Jon," she gasped in equal parts frustration and lust, "if you don't move soon I'll incinerate you."

"Eyes on me, Dany," he rasped, and she opened them, staring deep into his eyes. He danced his fingertips on the small of her back, causing her back to arch and for him to be pressed deeper into her.

Just when she thought she couldn't possibly wait any longer without combusting, he flipped her onto her back and slipped the last few inches into her.

Fire flooded her veins when he started moving in a smooth, steady rhythm, relief mixing with lust, inching closer to the edge of pleasure... until the dam broke and she couldn't keep from crying out, digging her nails into his shoulders.

She felt him join her a moment later, drowning in ecstasy along with her.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**_Wednesday_ **

Dany pulled herself out of Jon's bed on Wednesday morning at the crack of dawn. It proved to be quite a task to untangle herself from him and he was being none too helpful. She jokingly wrestled with him when he looped his arms around her, reluctant to let her get out of bed.

"You're going to make me late for breakfast," she murmured between kisses as he repeatedly pressed his lips to hers.

"Skip it," he mumbled, "tell your friends you're sick and stay in bed with me all day."

She laughed, pushing away and wagging her finger at him, "I would but... I have Defence Against the Dark Arts today," she said in a regretful tone, "and my teacher is a REAL hardass. He could knock points off my grade for missing a class... perhaps even fail me."

"Sounds like a real arsehole," his hand, the one that was placed on her waist, was inching lower, disappearing under the blanket.

"He really is," she caught his wayward hand, bringing it back to her hip.

"Maybe you can do something for extra-credit..."

Dany straightened, wrenching her lips from his, "Jon Snow!" she exclaimed, a mock-scandalized expression on her face, "Are you suggesting I trade sexual favours for grades?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it like that... more like a Quid pro quo, if you get my drift."

"Which is the exact same thing."

He chuckled, running his hand through her hair, which was cascading like a waterfall around her bare shoulders.

"You should go," he murmured, "don't give your arse of a teacher any excuse."

She leaned down to press her lips to his again, kissing him soundly. 

"Until tonight," she murmured against his lips. She then hopped out of bed, hastily gathering her clothes.

Jon followed her delicate form with his eyes. She was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her sometimes. His chest constricted.

_I'm pretty much done for, aren't I?_

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


"You seem to be in a better than usual mood these past few days," remarked Marg, who was sitting at the breakfast table across from Dany, eyeing her intently, "what's got you so happy?"

"What? Nothing," replied Dany automatically, busying herself with buttering her toast, trying to avoid Marg's inquisitive stare.

"We have Defence Against the Dark Arts next," piped in Loras unhelpfully, grinning impishly at her, "I bet that's why." Dany threw a napkin and a dirty look at him in response.

"Ahh, mystery solved," pronounced Marg dramatically, "who wouldn't be happy to spend the morning staring at Professor Snow's delectable arse?"

A short while later, Dany stepped into the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, Loras trailing behind her.

Her eyes immediately found Jon, who was standing by his desk, hip casually braced against it, hands in his pockets. His gaze was impassive when he nodded towards them as they entered. But she knew him well enough now to see the hungry glint in his eyes when he looked at her.

She felt the heat rising, delicious memories of last night and this very morning flooding her mind. She could see a faint bite mark peaking from under the collar of his shirt and it only served to make her heat up further. She remembered clearly the moment she'd given him that mark, it was only two days ago after all.

_He had her pressed against the wall in his room, one arm clutching her waist, holding her up, the other braced against the wall. His bicep flexed with the effort, giving the illusion that the Direwolf on it was alive as they moved together. What started as slow, deliberate movements had devolved into frantic frenzied thrusts, both of them drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. She remembered clutching his shoulders, hanging on for dear life, free-falling towards the edge. When the release had hit her, it did so with the force of an anvil. It was then that she closed her teeth around his neck, bruising his pale skin. He jerked inside her then, crashing into her as he broke, eyes turning bright red for a long moment._

Dany shivered and shook her head, trying to clear it. _Get your mind out of the gutter,_ she silently scolded herself, taking her seat and doing her best to avoid Jon's eyes. It was hard enough to concentrate as it was.

Today's lesson was again devoted to Ancestral Weapons practice.

Dany took a spot in the back of the room again, absentmindedly swinging her wand around.

When Jon strode by, he observed for a moment and then moved closer, gently correcting her wand movement.

"Clear lines," he murmured in her ear, "your movements are a bit shaky."

"I do apologize, Professor," she whispered in a low voice, to make sure he was the only one who could hear, "I can't stop thinking about last night..." She could hear his breath hitch and smiled wickedly, "especially the part where you pinned me down to the bed and pressed your tongue into-"

" _Dany!_ " his voice was a strangled whisper, his hand stilled around hers. She was feeling reckless. She felt like playing with fire. She took the chance to discreetly move backwards, pressing her back a bit closer to him. She wasn't sure where this was all coming from. She thought that finally spending time with him would take the edge off, diminish her need for him. But it seemed to have the opposite effect. The more time she spent in his presence, the more of him she craved. He was an addiction and she was completely hooked.

She felt him exhale a long breath, attempting to calm himself down. She smiled to herself again, enjoying the effect she had on him. 

His movement was quick. His hand suddenly tightened around hers, moving it to complete the gesture again, in a swift, precise motion. She had to admire his determination, although she was slightly disappointed. She froze when his lips brushed, ever so softly, against her ear, "Tonight... I'll give you something else to think about."

And with that, he moved away, casually walking towards another student to berate them for their abysmal attempt at spellcasting.

Dany could barely suppress her smile, nearly shivering with anticipation.

_Well played, Jon Snow._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany was laying on her back in Jon's bed, still quivering with the aftershocks. Beside her, Jon was sprawled on his back as well, sweaty and breathless.

"That," she gasped, still barely able to catch her breath, "was incredible."

She heard Jon chuckle quietly beside her but had no energy to even lift her head up to look at him. Her body felt liquid, boneless, her head was swimming as if it were floating in mid-air.

"Well, I did promise you..."

_When she had stepped into his room earlier that evening, he'd wasted no time making quick work of their clothes. In the space of an instant, they were both naked as on the days they were born._

_He then proceeded to treat her body as though she were a goddess and he a disciple, worshipping at her altar. She had lost all sense of space and time, drowning in an ocean of eternal bliss, never wanting to come up for air. His body was everywhere at once, touching, caressing, kissing, moving inside her in a relentless, tireless rhythm. She vaguely remembered laying on her back, her legs wrapped snugly around his waist, back arched in pleasure... on her side, with her hand buried in his hair, breath hitching in her throat when he hit a particularly delightful spot inside her... sitting astride him, her back to his chest, while his skillful fingers did something amazing to make her soar so abruptly, her mouth had opened in a silent scream, riding a wave which felt like it went on forever._

She placed a hand over her heart, which was still racing in her chest, "You are quite amazing at this, Jon Snow."

He chuckled again, turning his head to look at her, "Glad you approve."

She just smiled, feeling wholly satiated and happy. She felt him tug her gently into his arms. She let him wrap his arms securely around her, closing her eyes, basking in his presence, quickly falling asleep.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_A person approaching in the dark. A friend, Someone he trusts, agitated, begging him to come outside, something has happened... running outside to see nothing but the dark... and THEM. There are seven of them, standing in a silent semi-circle, wands drawn, eyes empty like darkness itself... he knows he has but a split-second, he raises his wand, a spectral wolf shooting from the end of it, running back towards the castle... a desperate cry for help... a flash of a wand, searing pain in his chest... a breath of ice... cold... so cold... darkness so profound it pressed on his eyes... a flash of light... fire. A man collapsing to the ground, running footsteps, hurrying to him, panicked eyes, voices screaming... a flash of red... then nothing at all._

Jon Snow jolted awake, covered in cold sweat, clutching his chest. It had been a while but it still felt as terrifying as the night it happened. His breath was coming in sharp gasps, his chest felt like it was burning. A phantom ache brought forth by memories.

Beside him, Dany jerked up in alarm, looking around in confusion. He felt her delicate palm wrapping gently around his wrist, dragging his hand away from his chest to clasp it tightly in hers.

"Jon, what is it?" she whispered, voice tinged with worry.

He let out a long shuddering breath, trying to calm himself down enough to slow his breathing. Her touch helped, soothing his frayed nerves.

"Nothing, it's nothing," he murmured, his voice strained and thick to his ears, "just a nightmare."

Dany shifted, coming to stand on her knees facing him, "It might have been just a nightmare, but it's not nothing," she said quietly.

He closed his eyes, leaning his head back on the headboard. Even so, he could feel her eyes on him, taking him in. He suddenly felt her fingertips lightly touching his chest, tracing over his scars. He flinched slightly, a reflex, and heard her sharp intake of breath.

"Is it- was it-" she hesitated, "were you dreaming about the night you got these scars?" she finally whispered, sounding unsure.

"Aye." The word just tumbled from his lips. He was tired, so tired of hiding things from her. It felt good to let a bit of truth out.

"Do you want to tell me?" she asked in a whisper.

He opened his eyes to look at her. She was sitting on her knees, the covers pulled modestly up to her chest, her expression so tender he felt he might crumble and tell her everything.

_I can't. But... maybe I can tell her something. Maybe it will help._

"I can't tell you the full story," he mumbled. It was confidential. Everything that'd happened in The Night's Watch was. Their lives depended on it, the secrecy, the isolation.

"Whatever you can tell me, I'll listen," she said quietly, "I'm here, Jon."

Her words almost broke him. A rush of an intense emotion washed over him, raising a lump in his throat.

_I don't deserve this. I don't deserve her. But, Gods be good, I can't stay away._

He sighed and pulled her into his arms, tucking her head under his chin. And the words just flew out, tumbling freely from between his lips.

"It was during my days at The Watch. People I trusted, some of my brothers... they betrayed me. They betrayed us all," he paused, awash in memories. the bitterness, the betrayal. It still hurt. They were his men, they were family to him. Back then, he would have given his life for each and every one of them...

"They lured me out of the castle, they were waiting for me... seven of them," he continued, "when I saw them I knew. I had but a moment, a split-second to decide what to do. I could protect myself or I could call for help," he shook his head bitterly, remembering the terror of that moment, of that night, "protecting myself was not really an option. There were seven of them and one of me so whatever defence I could conjure they'd eventually break through... so I called for help. They couldn't stop me."

It felt oddly freeing, telling her, talking about that night for the first time in years.

"I was near death when they found us. The traitors were caught and captured."

He could hear her sniffing slightly, her arms clutching him tightly.

"There was a healer in the castle, a red witch. She brought me back from the brink of death, they said," he sighed, the pressure in his chest easing a bit.

"And the men who did this to you?" her voice reverberated in his chest, her breath hot against his skin.

"Azkaban." _Azkaban,_ the wizarding prison. A punishment they say was worse than death.

"Good," her voice was tight with suppressed rage, "just as they deserve."

They sat like that in silence for a few minutes, Dany's hand softly caressing his chest, soothing away the pain of memories.

"Jon..." she raised her head to look into his eyes and he suddenly knew. He knew what she was going to say. But he couldn't... he didn't deserve it. Not while he was still lying to her.

So he pulled her flush against him, claiming her mouth in a searing, desperate kiss, which she returned with equal fervour. She was fire in his arms, burning away the pain, incinerating the scars of the past, and he wanted to be lost in her just a little while longer.

Because he knew that when she found out the whole story, when the truth finally came out, he could very well lose her forever.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**_Thursday_ **

They were laying prone on the bed, tangled up with each other, the quilt wrapped around them, cocooning them in its warmth.

"Play something for me," she murmured, her fingers tracing the contours of the Direwolf tattoo on his arm.

"What do you want me to play?" he asked in a murmur, his own hand running through her hair, enjoying the softness of the moment.

"Surprise me."

Earlier that night, when she had slipped into his room again, she spotted the guitar resting on his desk. The one he had played at the Yule Ball with his cousins. He'd been playing earlier in the evening, the movement of his fingers on the strings centering him, soothing the painful memories that had resurfaced the previous night.

He sighed and dragged himself out of bed. He bent down to the floor, picking up his discarded jeans and pulling them on.

"What are you getting dressed for?" Dany scowled at him.

Jon mumbled something about it 'feeling wrong' to play in the nude.

Dany giggled, snatching up his shirt from the floor and pulling it on herself, "Fine, but no shirt."

"You're bossy, did you know that?" he scowled at her, but she could see the smile tugging at his lips.

"Don't pretend you don't like it."

Jon went to his desk, retrieving his guitar from where it was laying on top of it. He then sat back on the bed, settling comfortably against the headboard, cradling the guitar in his hands, expertly tuning it.

Dany faced him, crossed-legged, anticipation on her face. She frowned slightly at the instrument in his hand.

"Is that an acoustic? I thought it was an electric guitar."

"It's both," he murmured, fingers still finely-tuning the guitar, testing it by strumming a few notes, "it's enchanted."

_Naturally._

Then he started strumming a nameless melody. Dany rested her head against the headboard, looking at his serene face.

She smiled when he finished, "I want to hear you sing."

Jon groaned, "Do I have to? It's embarrassing," he muttered, flush creeping up from under his beard.

Dany raised her eyebrows, "You sang in front of the entire school during the Yule Ball."

"Aye well, it's different... with just you here," he mumbled, drumming his fingers nervously on the guitar.

Dany found his nervousness adorable. "Please?"

"Fine..."

He sighed, pondering for a few seconds, and then softly placed his fingers back on the strings.

A new melody started, he began singing softly.

_We were at the table by the window with the view  
Casting shadows, the sun was pushing through  
Spoke a lot of words, I don't know if I spoke the truth_

Dany's heart pounded within her chest, moved by his beautiful voice and by the lovely image he presented. Bare-chested, his hair tousled from her hands running through it, a soft expression on his face as he sang for her. His eyes were resolutely fixed on the guitar in his hands. She had the feeling he was avoiding her eyes.

_Got so much to lose  
Got so much to prove  
Gods, don't let me lose my mind_

His voice sounded so sad to her ears. Dany bit her lip when she felt tears forming in her eyes, overwhelmed by emotions. 

Jon finally lifted his eyes from the guitar to stare into her eyes.

_Trouble on my left, trouble on my right  
I've been facing trouble almost all my life  
My sweet love, won't you pull me through?  
Everywhere I look I catch a glimpse of you  
I said it was love and I did it for life  
Did it for you..._

His fingers expertly plucked the strings, as though he was born to do this.

_We will come to pass, will I pass the test?  
You know what they say, yeah  
The wicked get no rest  
You can have my heart, any place, any time_

_...I said it was love and I did it for life  
Did it for you..._

The song came to an end and the room quieted. Jon's gaze dropped back to the guitar, as he ran a shaky hand through his hair.

A few moments passed and he exhaled nervously at her silence, "Say something, Dany."

He lifted his gaze back to her when he heard her sniff, alarmed at the tears in her eyes. He put the guitar down by the bed and pulled her into his arms.

"That bad, huh?" he murmured quietly, gently stroking her back.

She laughed through her tears, buried her face in his neck and tightened her arms around him.

"It was beautiful," she whispered against his skin, "you're beautiful."

He exhaled a shaky sigh, closing his eyes, pressing his cheek to the top of her head.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_I think you just told me you loved me, Jon Snow, but I'm too scared to ask..._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @Visenya_Targ asked to see Jon being jelly.. so I added a scene that was not originally planned. Hope you liked it :)
> 
> If anyone else has something they wish to see (you can be as general or specific as you want), go ahead and ask. IF I can fit it with the plot and IF I'm inspired to write it, you just might get your wish.
> 
> Music in this chapter:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0bj_wgIMWA
> 
> I added my tumblr in my profile. I don't post anything so there's no point following, but if you want to drop me a line about anything that's not directly related to this story, or you want to send a pm, feel free to send me an ask.


	13. Permafrost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo,
> 
> Life is still busy, have so much to do lately that I'm usually exhausted in the evening (which is the only time I have to write). So updates might come a bit more slowly. Still going, just not as quickly. Also, I have another small thing I'm working on, which may or may not ever see the light of day, depends how I like it when I'm done (if I'm done), so I'm going to concentrate on that for the next few days. 
> 
> So what do we have today. Some more quiet time, a revelation and things starting to happen.  
> Things!
> 
> And.. a surprise. For my dear beta. I added a tinsy part after he was finished with it, so he never saw the final draft.  
> So, honey, this is for you ❤
> 
> Enjoy!

  


Going back to normal (whatever _normal_ was, she wasn't even sure anymore), had been difficult, to say the least. In less than a week, Dany somehow had gotten used to spending her nights with Jon, so much so that she was now having difficulties falling asleep at night without him. She missed his arms around her, the tickle of his breath on the back of her neck and the touch of his bearded chin on her shoulder.

To make matters worse, she was having trouble concentrating during class and her performance was suffering for it. And so, come the next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, she was determined to regain her focus and make some significant progress.

She had briefly attempted to practice the Ancestral Weapon conjuring spell on her own outside of class, but so far hadn't had much luck. Her conjured weapon was still a shapeless wisp of bluish smoke, and she started wondering if that meant anything. Maybe the amorphous mass was supposed to represent fire or something.

When she'd asked Jon that during class, his answer was simply that "When the true weapon is summoned, you will know. If you're unsure, then it is not the true weapon."

And so, when practice had commenced, she pushed her sleeves up with a resolute expression on her face, determined to keep her focus and master the spell, just as she had done with all the others. She raised her wand, eyes set and focused, tracing it through the air time after time in single-minded concentration.

Her efforts finally bore fruit almost an hour into the lesson. What had previously been a nondescript sky-colored cloud now started taking shape. Dany stared at the shape that was forming before her very eyes with something akin to wonder. It had wings, great sinuous wings... and she could make out the vague outline of a head and a snout. It wasn't large, the size of a small dolphin, perhaps. But it was beautiful. Missy, who was practicing next to her, turned to stare at her open-mouthed.

"Holy shit, Dany," she whispered, as Dany clutched her arm in excitement, "that's amazing."

There was no doubt in her mind that her ancestral weapon was-

"A dragon," came a quiet murmur from behind her shoulder, and she drew her gaze from the undulating form to gaze into the eyes of Jon Snow.

"I might have guessed." His expression was impassive, as it usually was during class, but there she could recognize a smile in his eyes. Warmth radiated from him in a way that made her knees feel like jelly. Their eyes locked together for a fleeting moment, the familiar _magnetic_ feeling tugging at her gut again.

He cleared his throat and nodded in her direction. "Nicely done, Miss Targaryen," he said in a resounding voice, loud enough for the rest of the students to hear, "the rest of you, take a look. That's what progress looks like..."

Dany bit her lip, quivering with excitement, tearing her eyes away from Jon to gaze lovingly at her weapon. She couldn't wait to get it to its true form. She waved the wand and the form vanished. Taking a deep breath, she raised the wand again.

By the end of the lesson, she made a little bit more progress, the dragon slowly taking shape. A big part of it was still somewhat blurry and amorphous, but it still outshone everyone else's progress by leaps and bounds.

When everyone was busy packing their things, Jon strolled by her once again. He stopped casually by her side and murmured, "Fantastic work today."

His gray eyes were dark and stormy. He was impressed, she could tell. It was one of the things that drew him to her, he had confessed it to her before, her determination, her skill. The dark desire in his eyes made a shiver journey up her spine, making her rapidly lose all rational thought.

She picked up her bag, pretending to adjust the strap as she stepped closer to him, lowering her voice so only he could hear.

"Dragons are amazing... Dragonriding was amazing, but tonight... I'm going to ride a wolf," She only had a chance to hear him make a strange choked noise before following Missy and Loras out of the classroom, smiling mischievously.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


"A dragon, I should've guessed," exclaimed Margaery cheerfully, when they were all seated at the lunch table and Loras had filled her in with everything that's happened during the Defence class, "a mark of a true Targaryen," she smiled at Dany, who grinned back at her.

"As usual, Dany was the first one to conjure a near-perfect weapon," said Missy, smiling at Dany's eyeroll.

"And, as usual, you're exaggerating," Dany countered, "it was far from perfect and a lot of others did really well... including you two."

"If Professor Snow wasn't in love with her before, he sure is now," said Missy slyly, ignoring her completely.

Dany just shook her head. They were determined to tease her till the end of time. It was getting pointless to protest.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


  


_Baby, can't you see  
I'm calling  
A guy like you should wear a warning  
It's dangerous  
I'm falling_

  


Under the cover of darkness, Dany hurried down the corridor, clutching her wand nervously. She was prepared to cast Cloak of Shadows on herself in case she saw anyone on her way, but luckily, the hallways of the castle were deserted.

She hurried towards her destination, not bothering to knock as she slipped inside.

Jon was awake and waiting for her, as she knew he would be. He was sitting upright on his bed, in jeans and a t-shirt. His feet were bare. The room was dark. The only source of light the blazing fire in the hearth.

Without a word, she dropped her wand on the ground and went straight to him, catching him by surprise when she pounced, kissing him hungrily. His hands immediately wrapped around her, running down her back, bringing her body to his.

She pushed his hands off her and stepped away, coming to stand by the bed.

He eyed her in surprise through the haze of lust, "Dany, what-?"

"Ssshh, you're doing what I say tonight," she murmured, "take your clothes off."

  


_There's no escape  
I can't wait  
I need a hit  
Baby, give me it  
You're dangerous  
I'm loving it_

  


His eyes darkened as he slowly stood up from the bed. 

He pulled off his t-shirt in a single swift motion, revealing the pale scarred skin and smooth muscles she loved to run her hands on.

Not taking his eyes off her, he pulled off his jeans and underwear, kicking them aside, so that he was as naked as on his nameday, save for the direwolf pendant glinting on his chest. The sight made her mouth water.

She pulled off her own clothes, slowly, noticing his eyes greedily following her movements, his body reacting to hers.

When she was as bare as he was, she smiled at him, a carnal smile full of promise.

"Lie down on the bed," she whispered.

He obeyed, laying on his back, staring at her hungrily.

She sauntered over and climbed on top of him, straddling his naked form.

She leaned down and kissed him, open-mouthed, bruising, hungry. He kissed her back, matching her ferociousness with his own. Her hands ran up and down his body, caressing his chest, his arms, his stomach. He gave a sharp intake of breath when her hand closed around him, already hard and throbbing for her.

He groaned when she started moving her hand up and down, rubbing him. His hand slipped down between her legs, and she gave a shuddering breath when he found the spot he was looking for, flicking it gently, feeling her moisten his fingers. His touches changed from gentle to rough and she moaned loudly, wrenching his hand from her, breathing hard.

"I made you a promise today, Jon Snow," she whispered, her hands gliding up to brace against his chest, "and I intend to keep it."

  


_Too high  
Can't come down  
Losin' my head  
Spinnin' 'round and 'round  
... Do you feel me now?_

  


Without warning, she rose up and in one quick move, nestled his aching length inside of her.

Jon groaned at the sudden sensation, looking up at her with a lust-blurred gaze.

After a few breathless moments, she started moving, rolling her hips, rising up then falling down in a relentless rhythm. His hands came to rest on her bottom, attempting to help her movements, but she swatted them away, pinning his wrists to the bed on either side of his head.

She leaned in to whisper in his ear, still moving ceaselessly above him, "I'm calling the shots." She bit his earlobe, eliciting another groan from him.

Jon's head was swimming with the sensations, a spring coiling in his body, begging to be released.

His eyes were riveted to her, her hair wild and free around her, eyes blazing with fire, mouth slightly parted with pleasure and exertion. She was a goddess, and she was riding him as if she was charging into battle atop a dragon.

"I can't stop thinking about you," she murmured, "I've been waiting all day to come here and do this..."

"Fuck, Dany," he groaned when she leaned back slightly, adjusting the angle to make him slip deeper inside.

Jon could feel his legs starting to tremble, "Dany," he groaned, struggling to hold back, wanting to give her pleasure first before he exploded into a million pieces, "slow down, if you don't I'm gonna-"

"-come?" she smirked, not slowing down nor stopping, "that's the plan."

She bent down again to bite his lower lip, "Don't hold back, direwolf," she whispered.

That did it. The feeble tether he had on his control snapped suddenly as the wave of pleasure hit him, his legs convulsing uncontrollably.

She kept moving as he rode the wave until he came down, spent and panting, heart beating erratically.

She was close, he could tell, she was heaving and shuddering over him. With what little energy he had left, he wrenched a hand from hers, where she kept his wrist pinned to the bed and brought it between them again, pressing the spot in the way he knew she loved.

She gave a strangled noise and tumbled off the edge, mouth opening in a silent scream.

She collapsed on top of him, breathing hard into his chest.

After a few minutes, she raised her head lazily to stare into his eyes, a satisfied smirk on her lips.

"Tell me, Jon Snow," she whispered, "did I make good on my promise?"

He chuckled, his breathing not quite back to normal yet, "well, I can't really feel my legs right now, so..."

She giggled, cheeks pink with pleasure.

"Pleased with yourself, are you?"

"Very."

  


_Oh,  
The taste of your lips  
I'm on a ride  
You're toxic I'm slippin' under  
With a taste of a poison paradise  
I'm addicted to you  
Don't you know that you're toxic?_

  


  


⭐⭐⭐

  


A short while later, they were still laying in bed. Dany was laying on her back, head propped against the pillows, Jon braced on his elbows, trailing kisses over her face and neck.

She shivered slightly, tracing a finger over the ink on his bicep as he lowered his face to press a long kiss to her lips, his bare chest brushing against her breasts.

A memory tugged at her mind then. _A touch of his lips on hers... her hand on his arm... a rush of heat taking her breath away..._

Her eyes snapped open, gasping softly in surprise.

"Jon- Jon..." she murmured between kisses he still pressed to her lips.

"Mmmm...?" he seemed reluctant to stop kissing her. His eyes opened lazily, burning into hers, gray turning darker.

"I dreamt of this," she whispered.

He smiled slowly against her lips, "So have I," he muttered, "for far longer than you think."

She smiled, heat rushing in, engulfing her body with fire, "Yeah, no, I mean... I dreamt of _this_... this moment." She ran her fingers up his arm again.

He raised his head, intrigued, "A dream? When?"

"Well..." she blushed, "I think it was around October," she muttered, cheeks pinkening, "I know we barely knew each other then and I think I was exhausted from practicing Power Barrier, so-"

"I dreamt of this too."

She stopped her tirade to goggle at him, mouth open in surprise, "You have?"

"Mmm.." He rose on his arms, running his hand through her hair, staring deeply into her eyes before brushing his lips against hers in a breath of a kiss, "something like this?"

"Exactly like this," she whispered in wonder, "we had the same dream?"

"Actually..." he murmured, "how did it feel?"

She furrowed her brows in confusing, "How did what feel?"

"The dream. Did it feel like a dream or..?

"I guess it didn't," she admitted, "it felt more real..." she sighed at the memory, "when I woke up I could still remember what your lips tasted like, what it felt like when you touched me..." she shivered again, goosebumps rising on her skin, "how is this possible to have the same dream?" she asked wonderingly.

"Not a dream... a vision. We shared it," he said, shaking his head in wonder as well, "we just didn't know it at the time."

"I've never had a vision of the future before... have you?"

"No."

"What does it mean?"

He fixed his eyes back on hers, gray turning dark.

"It means... we were always meant to get here," he breathed against her lips, "to this moment." 

Before she could fully grasp what it all meant, he pressed his lips to hers, taking her breath and thoughts away. 

They ended up moving together again. This time slowly, deeply... their eyes locked together as their bodies moved in unison. Dany's heart was racing. She had never felt this close to anyone before. Like they were one... like she was a half of a whole. The intensity of emotion in his eyes felt like it was consuming her, burning into her soul. She already knew she loved him, knew it with a certainty she had never felt before in her life. But this time another word snuck into her mind... _forever_. This was what she wanted. Him, her. Them. Together.

They fell over the edge together, breaths hitching, bodies quivering, eyes closing momentarily just to open to look into each other's again.

She was lost again, everything else but him disappeared.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany slipped inside the Gryffindor common room to find it dark and quiet. She tip-toed silently across the room, heading to the staircase leading to her dormitory.

She froze dead in her tracks when a lamp standing on a small table by the hearth suddenly clicked on and an incredulous voice said "Dany?"

Her heart in her throat, she turned to see Loras, sitting in one of the armchairs by the fire, staring at her with his mouth half-open.

"W-what are you doing here?" she stammered.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied with a frown, "it's past two in the morning, Dany, where have you been?"

"I- nowhere, I just had trouble sleeping and went outside for a few minutes," Dany mumbled, eyes on the floor, avoiding Loras' gaze.

"Is that so? Because I also had trouble sleeping. I came down here an hour ago and you didn't pass by here until just now."

Dany stiffened, not knowing what to say.

"Also.. why would need your wand for a midnight stroll?" Loras pointed at the wand still clutched in Dany's hand.

Dany tried to come up with some plausible lie but came up empty-handed. She was out of excuses, and she was so incredibly tired of lying to her friends.

"Dany..." Loras climbed out of the armchair, coming to stand next to Dany and grabbing her hand, squeezing gently.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" he said in a low voice, "you're one of my best friends. Whatever's going on..."

Dany just shook her head silently. She wanted to talk to Loras, she wanted to say _something_ , anything, but she just didn't know how.

Loras tugged on her hand gently, pushing her down to sit on an armchair, coming to sit on the one adjacent to it.  
He watched her, looking like he was considering something. He then raised his wand, swinging it in a large circle murmuring a quiet _"muffliato"_ , making sure they couldn't be overheard.

He turned back to her. "Is it-" he hesitated, "Dany, is this about... Professor Snow?"

Dany's eyes widened in shock, panic forming in her stomach, threatening to spill over.

"How-" she croaked, hands trembling.

Loras sighed, biting his lower lip nervously. "Well," he started hesitantly, "I kind of suspected something's been going on ever since our first Synergy spellcasting class."

Dany had her suspicions about what it was Loras knew or suspected, especially after their shared practice on New Year's Day. But she'd written it off since he never said anything, assuming she was just being paranoid. _I guess I'm about to find out_. She just stared at him silently, her heart pounding against her ribcage.

"When Professor Snow lent me his magic," he started explaining in a quiet voice, "I got an impression of his state of mind, I told you that." She nodded silently and he continued, "Mostly it was just a jumble of feelings, I didn't really get anything clearly, except... well, except for you, Dany."

"Me?" her voice was barely a whisper.

"Yeah... the only thing that stood out. He was thinking of you."

Dany just stared, mouth agape, heart still beating frantically against her chest. But Loras wasn't done.

"And then when we practiced after New Year's..."

Dany had a feeling she knew what was coming, fear spreading in her stomach like fire.

"I could feel it clearly from you, too," he hesitated, "it's hard to describe, it was just a wave of emotion, but..." he shook his head, "I know you have feelings for him. More than just physical attraction."

Dany licked her dry lips, willing her hands to stop shaking, "Does- does anyone else know?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

Loras hesitated again, "I think- I think Marg suspects something's up. She's certain you have a crush on him, that's why she's been teasing you so much, but... she doesn't know what's going on, I'm pretty certain of it," he sighed, "Hells, _I_ don't know what's going on, Dany, I only know what I felt."

Dany nodded, eyes suddenly filling with tears.

"Hey.." Loras got up from his chair and awkwardly pulled her into a hug, "I'm here for you Dany, you're like family to me, I'll always be there for you if you need me. And I know Marg feels the same way."

Dany sniffed, wiping her eyes and pulling away from Loras slightly. They both sat back down, silent for a few seconds. Dany was the one to finally break it.

"I think I'm in love with him," she finally whispered. Her voice sounded deafening to her ears in the silent room. It was the first time she voiced it out loud. How she felt about Jon. It was both terrifying and liberating.

To his credit, Loras didn't fall off the chair in shock. He leaned slightly forward in his seat.

"And.. is- is he in love with you too?" he asked gently.

"I think so."

"So that's where you're sneaking off to? To be with him?"

"Yes..."

Loras leaned back, "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Dany took a deep breath.

 _It's time_. And she proceeded to tell him about everything that'd happened since the Yule Ball. She skipped the more intimate parts, but she knew he got the gist of things.

Loras didn't interrupt, didn't say anything as the words tumbled out of her in a rush.

Dany hadn't realized before how much the secret weighed on her, how she longed to share it with someone. The wonderful, terrifying sensation in her stomach she got every time she thought of Jon, every time she looked at him...

Once she finished confessing everything, Dany leaned her head back against the headrest, suddenly exhausted but also somewhat lighter, relieved.

"Damn, Dany," Loras finally whispered, "I know we tease you a lot, but I don't think any of us could guess how far this thing had gone."

A dark shadow seemed to wash over his eyes. "Look, this is going to sound... well, I have to ask... he's your teacher, he never pushed you into anything, did he?" 

Dany felt a cold shiver run up her spine. She clasped Loras' hand in hers briefly, so he would know she was being honest.

"No no no... nothing like that. No. If anything, I'm the one who- no, just no. All good." There was a short silence before Dany broke it.

"Do you think it's wrong?" she asked quietly.

Loras drummed his fingers on the chair nervously, "I'm not one to judge, but you're definitely not making things easier for yourself..."

He turned to look into Dany's eyes, "Does he make you happy?"

A smile broke through the worried expression on Dany's face, "More than I've ever thought possible," she admitted shyly, cheeks pink.

"Then it's not wrong," Loras shrugged, "that's the way I see it, anyway. But do let him know I'll curse him into oblivion if he hurts you," he added.

Dany giggled and hugged him fiercely, feeling lighter than she had in months, "Thank you, Lor."

Loras smiled back, "Marg would lose her shit if she found out," he muttered.

Dany sat up straight abruptly.

"Please don't tell her. Please don't tell anyone," she whispered. She felt vulnerable all of a sudden, terrified by the possibility of anyone else finding out.

Loras' face became serious and he picked up Dany's hand, engulfing it in his own, "I won't say a word to anyone, I promise."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Loras knowing about her and Jon felt strange. On one hand, Dany felt oddly light and relieved. It had been so hard, keeping the secret, having to carry the burden alone. Having someone else, a friend, know about it, had been an incredible relief. It also felt somewhat embarrassing, however. Sometimes, when she stole a glance at Jon during class, she'd turn to catch Loras looking at her, smirking, a knowing smile on his lips.

"You're enjoying this way too much," she muttered to him one day, when they were trailing behind Marg and Missy on their way to Charms. Marg had insisted she knew a shortcut, which had led them through a seldom-used part of the castle.

"Hey, it's been forever since I'd been privy to any juicy secrets," he whispered back, grinning at her mischievously, "I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts."

The four of them turned a corner to a somewhat darker and deserted corridor, hurrying along. They just passed by an unmarked door when Dany felt a sudden chill. It disappeared a second later and she stopped, confused.

"Dany, what are you doing, we'll be late," called Marg, who noticed her lagging behind.

"Did you guys feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"Come here a second."

Marg raised an eyebrow and walked back towards Dany, "What are you talking- oh." They came to stand directly in front of the unmarked door, and now Dany could feel it clearly. The spot was unnaturally cold, and the strange coldness seemed to come from behind the door.

"Guys, come back here," Marg called to Loras and Missy, who were still standing a few meters away, "this is funny..."

They all gathered in front of the door, staring at it curiously.

"How strange..."

Dany stepped forward tentatively and touched the doorknob. Except for being a bit colder than expected, it felt quite normal to the touch. She hesitated for a second and then, curiosity getting the better of her, pressed it down. The door was locked.

"Interesting..." Marg stepped forward, drawing her wand. She tapped the doorknob, muttering _"Alohomora"_ under her breath. Nothing happened.

"It's locked by magical means," frowned Dany, staring at the door curiously, "I wonder what's in here."

"No idea. But I do know we'll be late for Charms if we don't hurry," reminded Missy, dragging Dany away from the door and further down the corridor, Marg and Loras following suit.

Dany let herself be dragged away and towards the Charms classroom. They rushed inside, murmuring a hasty apology to Professor Lannister who silently raised his eyebrows at them, and took their seats.

"Now that we're all here," he started, casting a pointed look in their direction, "we can start. Today we'll be discussing Conjuring charms. Kindly open your textbooks, chapter four..."

Dany dutifully pulled _Chadwick's Charms_ towards her, flipping to the right page and fixing her eyes on Professor Lannister. But her mind was elsewhere. From some reason, she was still curious by the unmarked door and the unnatural chill that emanated from behind it.

She hadn't had the chance to see Jon alone in a while, not since the night she was caught sneaking back into the Gryffindor tower by Loras and the subsequent confession to him about her relationship with Jon. 

As relieved as she was not to carry the secret alone, it didn't make being away from Jon any easier, the yearning for him a constant ache in her gut. And she needed a distraction. The mystery of the door seemed like a good place to focus all of her restless energy on.

She discussed her plans with her friends during dinner that evening.

"Are you still on about that door?" Marg eyed her questioningly, "it's odd, that's true, but why are you so interested?"

Dany shrugged, "I donnow, I like a challenge. Could be fun to try and find a charm to unlock that door or otherwise give us an inkling of what's behind it."

She waved her fork, which still had a lone fry on in, to point it at Missy, "What do you say? Wanna do some research?"

Missy shrugged, "What the hells. Could be fun."

"Lor?"

"Sure, I guess."

Dany turned her gaze to Marg, raising her eyebrows.

Marg groaned, "We have enough schoolwork without spending extra time in the library researching mysterious doors."

"Come on, Marg," Dany gave her best impression of a sad puppy, "it will be fun."

Marg grumbled her agreement and Dany smiled, finally bringing the fry to her mouth.

After finishing the last of their food, they grabbed their bags and headed towards the library. They only had a short time before it closed for the day, and Dany was resolved to at least make some progress on the matter.

They started with researching magical methods of unlocking doors. About an hour and several dusty volumes later, Dany declared that this avenue was, most likely, a dead-end. Unlocking a magically-locked door was a complicated undertaking, the method which to use to perform it depending on the means the door was locked by.  
They had no idea who locked the door nor how they did it and the way to find it out seemed to involve far more complicated magic than they could reasonably perform.

Unfortunately, the library was closing for the day, which meant they needed to continue some other day. They stayed there up to the very last minute until the irate librarian came to shoo them out. Dany grabbed her bag, following her friends out of the library.

"Well, that was a waste of time," said Margaery gloomily.

"Not really," said Dany resolutely, her spirit undampened by what she considered merely a setback, "now we know that we probably won't be able to actually unlock the door, so we need to look at other types of spells. Let's go back tomorrow after lunch," she suggested, "we all have a free period."

Marg griped and moaned dramatically but finally agreed to come. Dany, Missy and Loras bade Marg goodnight at the bottom of the staircase leading to the Gryffindor tower, turning to climb up to the common room.

Dany climbed into bed that night, feeling the fire of a new project burning in her mind.

If that couldn't distract her, if only temporarily, from constantly imagining pulling Jon down some dark corridor and having her wicked way with him, she was pretty sure nothing would.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany slammed _Secret Magic Unlocked_ shut in frustration. This was the fourth book she was searching and she was getting nowhere. Beside her, Missy, Marg and Loras were having no luck either.

"This is frustrating," she groaned, "I don't even know where to start."

"Maybe we can ask Professor Lannister for direction," suggested Marg, who was absently tapping her fingers on the cover of _Extreme Incantations_.

"I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to mess about with that door," said Missy reasonably, "if we start asking questions he'll probably ban us from going anywhere near it ever again."

"We might be wasting a lot of time for nothing," Marg pointed out, "It's probably just a weather charm gone wrong or something."

"They why is it magically locked?" replied Dany, now grabbing another book and determinedly riffling through it.

It was another hour before Dany finally found something that looked promising in a stranger-than-usual book. It had no title but was abnormally cold to the touch.

She rifled excitedly through it, finally letting out a cry of triumph that made her friends raise their eyes in question.

"What is it?" inquired Missy, "did you find something?"

"I think so, check this out," she pointed.

"Permafrost," Missy scanned the title of the chapter, "I've never heard of this before."

"It says here it's a magical way of protecting or safeguarding a magical object by encasing it in ice-magic," whispered Dany in an effort not to raise the ire of the librarian, who was behind a nearby shelf, dusting the covers of some ancient-looking books, "it emanates _unnatural cold _. Sounds familiar?"__

__"That must be it, then," whispered Marg excitedly, "but what do we do about it?"_ _

__"It says something here about a spell that can pass through the Permafrost magic and reveal what it's protecting," said Dany enthusiastically, "let me see..."_ _

__She frantically searched through the shelves until she finally found what she was looking for. A small old leather-bound tome titled _Hidden Patterns_. She carried it carefully back to the table and hastily rifled through it._ _

__"Guys, have a look," she whispered excitedly. They all leaned closer to look at the paragraph she was pointing to._ _

__Marg frowned, reading over Missy's shoulder, "The Apertus charm? What is it?"_ _

__"It says here it's meant to unlock secrets and reveal hidden magic... including things encased in Permafrost," Dany kept scanning the dense text, running her finger down the page, "the incantation is pretty simple..."_ _

__She looked up excitedly, "This is collaborative magic, it takes four people to cast the spell," she whispered, "it's like we were meant to use it," she said happily._ _

__"What's that here?" asked Loras, pointing to a note at the bottom of the text._ _

__Dany read on, frowning at the page, "Looks like the incantation and wand gestures are not enough. We have to brew some Veritaserum for this spell to work."_ _

__"What?!" moaned Marg, "Veritaserum takes a month to make. Are you really that hellsbent on opening that door, Dany?"_ _

__Dany chewed her lip thoughtfully, "hmm.. perhaps not a month," she said, "we brewed that Anti-Cheating concoction in potions almost a month ago, right?"_ _

__"Yeah, so?"_ _

__"So I still have some laying around somewhere," said Dany brightly, the idea taking shape in her mind, "if I recall the 5th year Potions syllabus, we can use it as a base for Veritaserum. We can have it ready in just a few hours."_ _

__"Nice," whispered Missy. She seemed to be getting more excited about the idea, fueled by Dany's enthusiasm, "I think it sounds like fun," she declared, "we've never tried collaborative magic, it could be fun."_ _

__"Or we could end up setting something on fire," piped Loras doubtfully, still staring at the book in Dany's hands, "it looks complicated."_ _

__"Well, it's a good thing we just learned _Aguamenti_ in Charms then," said Dany decisively, snapping the book shut and going to check it out, "we're doing this."_ _

__They made their way out of the library, Dany cramming the little book into her bag, buzzing with excitement._ _

____

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


After dinner, Dany spent the rest of the evening sitting cross-legged on her bed, reading and re-reading the chapter in _Hidden Patterns_ that discussed the Apertus charm, making notes on what they would have to do.

The spell was, without a doubt, complicated. They would have to draw magical seals on the ground, pour the Veritaserum into a cauldron, chant the incantation simultaneously, performing the wand gesture accurately while pointing them towards the mysterious source of the cold. She traced her finger over the incantation inscribed in the book.

"Aperio Aperire Aperui Apertus," she murmured under her breath, practicing the correct inflection as described in the book.

Almost two hours later, she could not only pronounce the incantation perfectly, exactly as described in _Hidden Patterns_ , but also had the wand motion down. Exhausted but extremely pleased with herself, she decided that this was enough of an accomplishment for one day.

She told an already half-asleep Missy good night and crawled under the covers of her own bed, burying her head in the pillow. 

She turned to what has become her usual bedtime activity- thinking of Jon. When she closed her eyes, she could picture him almost perfectly. The gray of his eyes, the black of his hair, the amused half-smile on his lips that she came of think of as _hers_. She clutched the pillow to her chest, wishing he were in bed next to her, wishing she could at least kiss him goodnight. 

Her mind would often drift when she was on the verge of falling asleep, caught in the twilight between awake and dreaming. It would run wild, imagining things like walking with him out in the open, hand-in-hand, introducing him to her brother, and not as her teacher, meeting his cousins, properly this time... these thoughts caused a peculiar feeling to form in her chest. Part incredible joy at the endless possibilities, part a terrible ache of longing. She eventually drifted off the sleep, his beautiful face etched in her mind, his name a hushed whisper on her lips.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


The next day, after a hurried lunch, Dany coerced her friends into practicing their newly discovered spell. She stood and watched over critically as they practiced the wand gestures and the pronunciation of the incantation.

"Your wand movement is too fast, Marg," she said, frowning at the way Marg traced her wand through the air, "slow it down, create rounded corners."

"And you're saying it wrong, Lor," she continued on to Loras, "you have to roll your r's. Ape _rrr_ tus."

"Gods, Dany, you're quite the hard-ass," complained Marg in a teasing tone, "I almost feel like I'm being scolded by Professor Snow..." Missy and Loras giggled in agreement. Dany ignored them, demonstrating the wand motion once more, privately thinking to herself that as Jon's teaching methods were highly effective, she didn't at all mind being compared to him.

After a few more hours of practice that evening, Dany had finally declared they were ready to attempt the spell for real. The only part left to prepare was the brewing of the Veritaserum. Since it was a relatively simple task when one had an Anti-Cheating potion, Dany had planned to do that part on her own the next evening.

The next day, after Potions class, Dany dawdled at the end of the lesson, eventually sneaking to the store-cupboard, where basic potions ingredients were available for all students. Fortunately, most of the ingredients she needed were to be found there. She opened the cupboard, gathering the supplies she needed, nearly dropping them all when she suddenly heard a voice behind her.

"Peacebloom, Asphodel powder, Wormwood essence and Silverweed... brewing a Veritaserum from an Anti-Cheating potion base, are we?"

Dany turned around to stare right into the eyes of Professor Oberyn Martell, the Potions master.

Martell was an odd bird. He had a tendency to disregard the rules when he considered it essential for the learning process. One memorable lesson the previous year, he taught them to brew Polyjuice Potion, which was strictly against ministry-guidelines, since he considered it, as he put it _"An essential tool for an aspiring potion-maker."_

"I want you to achieve great things," he had said back then, "and you cannot hope to do so if you don't occasionally color outside the lines.

Veritaserum was a controlled substance. She wasn't, strictly speaking, supposed to be brewing it outside of class. She gulped, knowing she'd been caught red-handed, already resigning herself to putting all the ingredients back and trying to be less conspicuous about it next time. She was about to put the ingredients back into the cupboard when Professor Martell spoke again.

"You're missing one key ingredient, you know," he said, his black eyes glittering.

"Y-yes, umm, Foxglove leaf." Due to its venomous nature, this final ingredient was not freely available to students. Dany still hadn't worked out how she would get some.

Professor Martell then snapped his fingers, a small glass bottle appearing in his hand, full of fine powder, colored a poisonous shade of pink. 

"So what are you trying to brew it for?" he asked, and then shook his head quickly before she had the chance to open her mouth, "you know what, don't tell me. Just let me know if it worked out."

He handed the vial to her with a chipper, "Good luck!" and strode out of the class, Dany staring after him.

She wasn't sure what it was that convinced Martell to actually help her instead of sending her away with a telling-off, but she was grateful for it. She hastily stuffed her armful of ingredients into her bag and hurried out of the classroom.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon knocked on the door of the headmaster's office and slipped inside when he heard the gruff "come in" in return.

He stepped inside to find Davos standing by the hearth, deep in thought.

"You wanted to see me, headmaster?"

"Aye lad," Davos turned to survey him with a somber expression, "your presence has been requested at the ministry."

Jon raised an eyebrow, "By Whom?"

"Selmy."

Jon frowned. Whatever it was, must be important for him to have to travel to King's Landing. Members of the ministry, and the Auror Office, in particular, had secure ways of communicating with one another without having to meet in person. So whatever information Selmy wanted to relay, it was sure to be highly confidential. 

"When?" he just asked.

"Midday tomorrow, you can take the train first thing tomorrow morning."

"And my class?"

"Don't worry lad, it will be covered. In any case, Selmy assured it wouldn't be more than one day, so I expect you back here tomorrow night."

Jon nodded briefly and left the headmaster's office, his stomach twisted in uncomfortable knots. Confidential news was seldom good news, especially in his line of work.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany wiped the sweat off her forehead, squinting at the open book in front of her, which was laying on the side of her cauldron.

She was hidden away in a deserted classroom, alone save for the tattered copy of _Moste Potente Potions_ for company. She had an enchanted fire going under the cauldron, which was hissing and steaming.

She ran her finger anxiously down the list of instructions, double-checking she wasn't missing anything. She knew even the slightest mistake could completely spoil the potion she was trying to brew. And since she only had one vial of Anti-cheating potion left for a precursor, she knew that if she botched it, she would have nothing to start with. Which meant that if she wanted a Veritaserum she would have to make it from scratch, a very long and complicated process that would take about a month.

She carefully emptied the vial in her hand into the cauldron. The surface of it frothed and bubbled, changing color from dark murky brown to bright yellow. She stirred in carefully. Two stirs clockwise, four anti-clockwise. She repeated it three more times, exactly as instructed in the book. The contents turned lighter still, now a pale shimmery yellow. 

Hands shaking slightly, she stirred in the final ingredient, the Foxglove powdered leaf. There was no visible change for a few tense seconds. Just when Dany started to worry she may have done something wrong, the contents of the cauldron hissed again, the liquid inside turning as colorless and odorless as water. Then the surface calmed instantly. Dany breathed out a sigh of relief.

She used her wand to carefully siphon the potion into an empty vial, corking it tightly. She then cleared up with a wave of her wand, hastily stowing the vial safely in her pocket before leaving the room and sneaking back into the Gryffindor tower.

Missy gave her the thumbs up when Dany held the vial up for her inspection.

"Looks great, Dany," she said happily, "just like it's supposed to."

Dany smiled, stuffing the vial into the drawer at her bedside table for safekeeping, "Let's hope it works."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany stepped into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, nearly colliding with Loras who was walking ahead of her. He had stopped in his tracks, letting out a small surprised gasp.

She looked over his shoulder to see what that was about when her eyes found Professor Martell standing in the front of the classroom, hands folded behind his back. She scanned the classroom, looking for Jon, but he wasn't there. Her stomach plummetted, a mix of worry and dismay bubbling inside it.

They all took their seats quietly, the room buzzing with whispers.

"Did you know about this?" Loras asked her in a whisper, and she shook her head. It came as a surprise to her as well. She wondered whether she should be worried, she was just about to raise her hand and ask when Professor Martell spoke over the babel of whispers.

"Good day dear students," he announced, "for those of you wondering where Professor Snow is, you need not worry. He has urgent business at the Ministry and will be back in time for your next class."

Dany was profoundly relieved. She didn't think Jon would just up and leave without telling her, but the truth was, she wasn't really sure of anything. Whatever it was they had together still felt like a part of a dream sometimes.

They continued what they'd been doing the previous lesson, practicing the conjuring of Ancestral Weapons. Some of the other students' weapons were finally beginning to take shape, Brienne's a large round shield-looking thing, and Missy managing to conjure something that faintly resembled a fountain and which Professor Martell proclaimed to be a healing ward. None have made as much progress as Dany, however, her Dragon getting more detailed with every attempt. It was now almost two meters across. She felt like she was close to perfecting it and she brimmed with excitement, wishing Jon was there to witness it.

"That makes sense," said Missy excitedly, as they left the classroom, "the shape looked almost like the one my grandmother conjures. I guess it's a family healing thing..."

"What is it supposed to actually do?" asked Loras

"Well, Professor Martell said its true form has a revitalizing effect on allies," she said thoughtfully, "he said that part of its magic is to differentiate friend from foe during battle."

"Sounds awesome."

Missy grinned proudly, "Very. I think I'll call my grandmother tonight and tell her about it, she'll be delighted."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon climbed the stairs hurriedly, not bothering with the lift. He still had a bad feeling about this. He couldn't possibly imagine why Selmy had to summon him all the way to the Ministry for. But he was about to find out.

He reached the second floor and hurried towards Selmy's office door just inside the Auror Office openspace. He raised his fist and knocked on the door, ignoring the few witches and wizards who lifted their heads from their work to goggle at him curiously.

The door opened and he found himself staring into the blue eyes of Barristan Selmy.

"Snow," he greeted him, unsmiling, stepping aside and ushering him inside the room.

"Selmy." Jon walked inside, looking around. The room looked exactly as he remembered it. Small, dark and stuffed full of spellbooks and magical objects. Fire was roaring in the hearth. The room usually had a cozy library-like atmosphere, but today it seemed to lack its usual warmth.

"Please, have a seat," Selmy gestured to one of the armchairs by the hearth, seating himself in the one across from it.

"A drink?" He indicated a crystal bottle full of amber liquid. Ogden's old Firewhiskey, Jon knew, a favorite of Semly's.

"Thank you."

The drinks were poured and they sipped in silence for a moment. Then Selmy put his glass down to fix his gaze on Jon.

"I apologize for summoning you all the way here, but I'm afraid many of our usual lines of communication are being watched. And what I have to tell you is information I'd rather not leak for the time being."

Jon just stared at him silently, waiting for him to elaborate.

Selmy sighed, "I'm afraid the news is not good. There's been a breakout... from Azkaban."

Jon felt a sudden chill grip his insides. Somebody broke out of Azkaban. He suddenly knew, he didn't need to ask. It was one of _them_. One of the seven.

"Which one?" he asked quietly, knowing Selmy would understand.

"Marsh."

 _Marsh._ The instigator. The ringleader. _Of course._

The silence stretched out, Jon staring unseeing into the fire, awash in bitter memories. _Terror, blood, darkness, frost_. He shook himself out of it a moment later when Selmy raised the crystal bottle to refill his glass. He didn't even realize he had emptied it.

"Do we have any leads as to where he is?" he heard himself ask, as if from a great distance.

"None. Vanished without a trace, much like Bolton and Baelish."

"Then we assume they are together."

"Very likely."

Selmy sipped his drink, staring into the fire, "Any more news..." he asked suddenly, "from your- from the Greenseer?"

Jon shook his head, getting up from the armchair to pace restlessly around the room, "He hasn't Seen anything clear of late. Just that he's getting stronger, as we've known."

Selmy studied him over the rim of his glass.

"You think he's going to make a move soon," he remarked.

"Aye. Soon." He could feel it in his bones. The foreboding. The Chill. 

Winter is coming.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A while ago, Mr. Beta asked me to include, and I quote "the only Britney song he likes" in the story. I said no, because I'm mean. But I did it anyway. Surprise!
> 
> For the rest of you, hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Next week, I hope (HOPE!) I'll have something else up. But no promises, depends on whether my half-idea forms into anything coherent.
> 
> 'till the next time...


	14. Direwolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there,
> 
> It's been a while, eh? As I mentioned before, I took about a week-long break from this story to work on something else (AKA my Jonerys Valentine's week fic, feel free to [check it out](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22722586) if you haven't already), but now I'm back to working on this one.
> 
> Enjoy!

  


  
  


  


Preparations for the spellcasting complete, Dany had announced to her friends that they'd be casting the spell the following night. They planned to sneak out of their respective rooms when the rest of the students had gone to bed and meet in the unused classroom next to The Cold Room, as they'd taken to calling it.

And so, later that evening, the four of them were to be found in the classroom, carefully etching runes on the ground. Dany finished her rune first, the intricate symbol glowing a bright purple when it was complete. Dany examined it carefully, comparing it to the picture in _Hidden Patterns_ , which was clutched in her hand. Perfect.

She went on to examine the rest of them. Missy's rune resembled the drawing in the book to a T, and so did Loras'. Marg was having difficulties with hers, which had a convoluted pattern in the middle of it. Dany put the book down, and together they fixed the pattern until it was complete, glowing a bright orange.

"Ok," Dany read and re-read the passage in the book anxiously, "the Veritaserum now."

Loras heaved a large cauldron to the center of the room and lit a fire underneath it with a flick of his wand. Dany carefully poured the potion inside, stepping back when she was done and stowing the empty vial back in her pocket.

"Now we each stand by a sigil," she read from the book, "Loras, go east, Marg west, Missy south, I'll go North." Her friends scattered dutifully, each standing by their assigned sigil and drawing their wands.

"Alright, looks like we're all set," said Dany nervously, "you all remember the incantation? We have to chant it together."

Everybody nodded, pushing up their sleeves and training their wands on the wall separating the classroom they were in from The Cold Room.

"Ok, three, two one..."

"Aperio Aperire Aperui Apertus," they all chanted in unison. Then again. And again. They chanted five times, just as instructed and then quieted down, waiting with bated breath. Nothing happened. They were all looking around in an awkward silence. Dany's heart was beating erratically. Had they gotten it wrong? Suddenly Missy gasped and pointed, "Look!"

Dany looked at the direction Missy was pointing, at the cauldron simmering in the center of the room. Tendrils of white smoke started rising from the bubbling surface of the cauldron, coiling and undulating in mid-air. They seemed to form some intricate pattern whose meaning Dany didn't know. But something was definitely happening. The sigils they had etched on the floor started to glow brighter and brighter. Blue, orange, purple and green, they cast eerie lights around the room, bathing it in pale colors.

The smoke emanating from the cauldron became more and more dense, pouring, liquid-like, to the ground. A shape started forming out of the smoke... something large that looked as though it was made from white smoke alone. They all just stood there in a stupefied silence, gazing at the amorphous form that slowly started to take shape.

"What is it?" Marg whispered, voice tense and echoing in the silent room.

"It.. it almost looks like-" Dany frowned, looking at the shape.

"A BEAR!" Loras suddenly yelled when the figure finally came into focus. It was a huge white bear with eyes as blue as chips of ice. It just stood there, crouching for a moment.

What happened next felt like a part of a nightmare.

The bear rose on its hind legs and emitted a deafening roar. The temperature in the room suddenly plummeted, as though a window suddenly burst open, admitting the chilly night air inside.

Marg screamed as the bear trained its ice-blue eyes on her and roared again. She raised her wand with a shaky hand, attempting to cast a protective spell. Her hand was shaking so badly that her shield flickered and died within a moment. The bear started advancing on her, growling menacingly.

"Dany!" Missy screamed.

Dany raised her hand, casting a Barrier Ward on Marg. The Bear turned its ice-blue eyes on her and Dany grew suddenly cold. The look in its eyes was chilling, unnaturally empty and dead-looking. The beast roared angrily, charging towards her with frightening speed. Dany threw herself sideways and the beast narrowly missed her, crashing into a wall instead. It did not appear to like that.

"Let's get the hells out of here!" yelled Marg, panic evident in her voice. Dany was inclined to agree when the bear's eyes suddenly glowed brighter blue and the doorway was encased in a block of ice.

"Oh no..." muttered Loras, voice shaky, "this is bad... this is really bad..."

They all backed away from the beast, huddling together. Dany hastily cast a Power Barrier around them. The beast then raised a massive paw, making a swiping gesture and the barrier vanished. 

The beast then charged towards them with an almighty roar again. They all scattered. Dany threw herself sideways, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the beast yet again. She struggled to get up on her feet, wondering how everything suddenly went so wrong, and whether they were all going to die there, cold and alone, facing a monster of their own making.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon stepped into the castle, cold, tired and sporting a throbbing headache. The day had not been a good one and he was ready to get into bed and be done with it.

He walked down a shadowy corridor, heading back towards his room. He was halfway considering getting some food from the kitchens when a peculiar feeling formed at his guts, tugging on his mind. He stopped dead in his tracks.

_Magic. Powerful magic._ The feeling of foreboding in his stomach warned him that something bad was happening. His heart hammering in his chest, he started sprinting down the corridor, led by the increasingly stronger tugging sensation in his mind.

The dread increased tenfold the closer to the source he got. Fearing the worst, his form changed smoothly into the Direwolf, running faster than any human could.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany was helped up by Missy and Marg who were instantly back by her side, joined a second later by Loras.

"What are we going to do?" asked Missy in a frightened squick, "that bear can do magic, what can we do?"

Dany's frantic mind was going over all spells she knew, desperately trying to think of something.

"Flaming Arrows," she whispered, "this bear has ice magic, let's set it on fire."

Dany raised her arm, starting to draw the fire sigil. Her friends followed, raising their wands in unison, hastily drawing sigils in mid-air. Twelve fiery arrows shot simultaneously towards the beast, which was advancing on them again. They all hit the target at once, exploding into a mighty fireball. They all waited anxiously, shivering and clutching each other. The beast emerged from the ball of fire, roaring in anger. The fire appeared to slow it somewhat, it was shaking its head in apparent annoyance. But it was recovering quickly. It charged towards them again as they rushed to move out of the way. 

Dany, who was standing at the very center of the group moved a fraction of a second too late and a massive paw hit her, sending her flying into the wall, crashing into it shoulder-first. She slid down, dazed, feeling a sharp pain in her shoulder and arm.

The rest of them pressed themselves against the walls at a loss of what to do. Dany blinked sudden tears away from her eyes. _It's my fault. It's all my fault._ And now she would be responsible for the deaths of her friends.

Just as the bear was gaining on them, just when Dany was convinced all hope was lost, the door suddenly burst open, the block of ice surrounding it shattering into a million shards. A huge white direwolf suddenly burst into the room, so fast it was a white blur.

Dany stared at him, her insides nearly melting in relief. She would know those red eyes anywhere, she'd seen them countless times. _Jon_.

The beast, distracted by the newcomer, turned to roar at the wolf, who growled in return, baring huge sharp teeth. The bear raised its paw, swiping it in the air and a beam of ice shot towards the Direwolf, who darted sideways, narrowly dodging it. The Direwolf's massive head swivelled around, surveying the room quickly. In a blink of an eye, it then transformed into the black-clad figure of Jon Snow.

He raised his arm, wielding his wand, drawing a complicated pattern in mid-air. It glowed blood red for a moment and then erupted in a shower of bright red beams, each aimed at one of the runes etched on the ground. The runes disappeared, one after the other. Once all the sigils were removed, the beast just... vanished. The room was suddenly warm again.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon hurried towards Dany, crouching next to her, his wand dropping to the floor by his side, "Dany... Gods," he murmured, his face pale and frantic, running his eyes and hands over her body, searching for injuries, "are you hurt?"

"My arm," she mumbled, finally giving in to tears of relief and exhaustion. She clutched Jon's arm with a trembling hand, momentarily forgetting they were not alone, "Jon, I'm so sorry, we've never meant for this to happen..."

He exhaled a long shuddering breath of relief, gently cupping her cheek, "It's ok, love," he murmured, "you're safe now."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Marg and Missy stared, mouths hanging open.

"Did he just call her-"

"Yep."

"Is that a Northern thing?" whispered Missy uncertainly, still goggling at them, "Is he like, one of those people who call everybody 'love'?"

"Please," Marg huffed back in a whisper, "have you _ever_ heard Professor Snow refer to anyone by anything other than their name?" she stared at the scene unfolding in front of her, "pretty sure if it were me lying there, he wouldn't be calling me _love_."

They both turned to stare at Loras, who was looking more uncomfortable than surprised.

"Do you know what the hells is going on?" Marg demanded in a furious whisper, casting a glance at Professor Snow, who was still crouched next to Dany, examining her arm. He asked her something inaudible and she pointed towards _Hidden Patterns_ , which was still laying on the ground. Jon went over to retrieve it, glancing at it and shaking his head.

"Let's talk about this later," Loras muttered hastily, 

Jon turned towards them and they all snapped their mouths shut, staring at him wide-eyed.

"Please go back to your dormitories, the three of you," he said, "I'll fix Daenerys' arm and she will be back shortly."

They all turned their eyes back on Dany, who was now being helped up by Jon, her face ashen. She nodded reassuringly back at them. They all filed out of the room, hurrying together to the Gryffindor tower. Because Marg had no intention of going back to her dormitory all by herself. No, she was determined to squeeze the truth out of Loras, who, apparently, had been keeping quiet about some truly earth-shattering information. And she was determined to get the full story.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon unlocked his office door with a wave of his wand and gently pulled her inside, mindful of her arm. He had her sit on a chair by the hearth. He briefly pointed his wand at the dark grate, flames rising inside instantly.

He busied himself putting some herbs in a cup, making something that Dany recognized as a numbing potion. The same as the one he brewed for her after the 'incident' with Ramsay during class.

The room was silent for a few minutes while Jon finished making the potion. He then opened a cabinet and pulled a crystal bottle out of it, pouring a dash of the liquid inside it into the mug in his hand.

"What is it?" Dany whispered, eyeing the bottle. It looked and smelled like alcohol.

"Firewhiskey," he answered grimly, "I'm afraid you're going to need it." He handed her the mug, waiting patiently until she drained it completely.

He then kneeled in front of her, gently tugging on her injured arm. She hissed in pain.

"Your shoulder is dislocated," he murmured, gently skimming his hand over her shoulder and arm, "I'm afraid the best way to fix it is to just pop it back in. It's going to hurt," he warned, "but hopefully the potion will help with the pain."

He pointed his wand carefully at her arm.

"Take a deep breath."

Even before she had the chance to follow his instruction, he pulled the wand firmly in a straight line and she cried out, the sharp pain causing her vision to swim for a moment, stars flashing behind her eyes. 

"It's ok," he murmured, his hand flexing, tightening momentarily on her thigh where it rested, "just breathe."

She breathed ruggedly, gradually calming as the pain lessened. At least her arm was back where it should have been.

Jon raised his arm, tapping his wand lightly on her shoulder. A sling formed around it, encasing her throbbing arm.

"Thank you," she whispered. She leaned back and closed her eyes, breathing slowly through the pain.

He got up from his perch in front of her, going to stand by the window, staring outside with a faraway look in his eyes. She opened her eyes to look at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. She saw his right hand, clenched to a fist at his side. It was shaking slightly.

"Jon?" she whispered tentatively.

She flinched in alarm when he suddenly slammed his closed fist against the wall. His head was bowed, turned away from her, and he was breathing shakily, trying to compose himself.

She stared at him in silence, shame blooming on her chest. He was angry. For the colossally stupid thing she did, that much was obvious.

She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood, willing the tears not to fall, "I'm sorry," she murmured, "I'm so sorry, Jon, I've been so stupid, I didn't think-"

"I'm not angry at you, Dany," he interrupted, still turned away from her so she couldn't see the look in his eyes.

She raised her eyebrows skeptically, "You're not? Then why are you trying to punch a hole through the wall?"

"Dany..." he shook his head, turning to look at her. His knuckles were bleeding slightly, but he paid them no mind, he didn't even seem to notice. She was startled to see the depth of emotion in his eyes. Fear, pain. And something else.. something soft and tender.

She swallowed.

"When I came into that room and saw you on the floor..." he let out a shuddering breath, "for a moment there, you weren't moving. And I thought... I feared..." he lapsed into silence.

Dany nodded, tears forming in her eyes. She didn't need him to finish, she knew what he feared.

"It was the most terrifying moment of my life," he whispered finally.

She didn't know what to say, her heart beating frantically in her chest. It was on the tip of her tongue then. She was going to tell him. She was going to say it. But then he continued on.

"And it wasn't your fault," he said, "it was mine. I should have known the Permafrost would attract attention, it was only a matter of time."

The moment was broken and she was grasping at something to say.

"What is it hiding?" she asked in a whisper.

"Something dangerous," was all he said and she sensed she wouldn't be able to get any more out of him about this, at least not tonight.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened?" he asked quietly, absently rubbing his bruised knuckles.

So she did. She told him everything from the beginning. About how they happened across the door, sensing the unnatural cold, about the hours of research that finally bore fruit when she discovered the strange little cold book, about the practice and the potion... She quieted afterwards, still chilled to the bone by the memory of the beast they had conjured. Of how close she and her friends came to dying, if it wasn't for him.

They sat in silence for a few moments, the air thick with tension and emotions. Dany watched him out of the corner of her eye, still unsure. He all but admitted his feelings for her just a few minutes before, but... he seemed so far away now. Lost in thought, eyes shuttered, concealing his emotions from her.

"I need to speak to the Headmaster," he finally said, "you should go... I imagine your friends have a lot of questions for you," he said wrily.

_Right._ In all the commotion and terror of everything that happened, that little tidbit had slipped her mind. They saw them together now. And she had no illusions she could fool them anymore.

She sighed, closing her eyes again, "I'm sorry," she murmured.

He shook his head, "It doesn't matter."

She just couldn't stay away any longer. She got up from the chair, walking towards him slowly. He just gazed at her. She pulled him down to her and kissed him, pouring all of herself into the kiss. She couldn't say it... what she felt for him, she just couldn't, not yet. She was on the verge but lost her nerve, so she tried to show him instead. He kissed her back, so much emotion pouring from his kiss so that she could feel it tugging at her soul.

A few breathless moments later, he released her, breathing heavily. He pressed his forehead to hers, eyes closed. Eventually, he moved away. He went to the cupboard, retrieving a small unmarked bottle, tightly corked.

He handed it to her and she eyed it in confusion.

"Take two drops each morning and evening until the pain is completely gone. It will make your shoulder heal faster."

She nodded mutely, pocketing the bottle with a murmured 'thank you'. Jon then went to open the door. He ushered her outside, checking to see the coast was clear.

"You won't encounter anyone on your way," he said, "go."

She obeyed, turning and walking down the dark corridor, mind and heart in complete disarray.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Just as Jon said, she encountered nobody on her way to the Gryffindor tower, the dark corridors quiet and empty. She slipped into the Gryffindor common room, which was deserted. She turned to climb up the stairs to her room. She heard quiet voices whispering furiously when she approached the door, too muffled to understand what they were saying. She opened the door and slipped quickly inside.

Three pairs of eyes turned to look at her, voices stopping abruptly. Missy was seated cross-legged on her own bed, Marg and Loras sitting on Dany's. They all goggled at her when she entered.

Missy was the first to break the silence, hurrying to her and giving her a careful hug, "Are you ok, Dany?" she whispered.

"I'm fine, Jon popped my arm back into place," she muttered, "it barely hurts anymore." She could refer to him as 'Professor Snow', but she knew she wasn't fooling anyone at this point.

She came to sit next to Missy, looking down at the bed, feeling Marg's eyes burning into her.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments. Marg finally heaved an irritated sigh, apparently losing patience.

"So," she started, "your little obsession with cold locked doors nearly got us all killed, but... let's get back to that later, _love_ , we have more important things to discuss."

Dany bit her lip. _Here we go..._

Marg continued, "Loras obviously knows something but he's been annoyingly tight-lipped about it, insisting it's _not his secret to tell_..." Dany shot Loras a grateful look and he gave her a tiny smile, "... but there's obviously something going on between you and Professor Snow."

Dany nodded silently, eyes still fixed on the bedcover.

"Are you going to tell us, Dany?" Marg's voice was soft.

Dany raised her eyes to look at her, to look at all of them. They were her best friends, her family. She wanted to tell them. She had wanted to tell them for a long time. She hesitated, not knowing where to start. 

"Are you in love with him?" asked Missy quietly, her voice sympathetic.

"Yes," Dany whispered. There was no doubt in her mind about it, not anymore.

"Are you sleeping with him?" shot Marg, raising an eyebrow.

Loras scoffed, "Gods, sis, don't hold back," he muttered.

"Yes," said Dany, with an eyeroll, blush coloring her cheeks at Marg's mutter of _I knew it._

"How come Loras knows about you two?" Marg continued.

Dany bit her lip, "He caught me sneaking back into the common room after spending half the night with Jon," she admitted, cheeks still hot, "and... he knew something was up since that Synergy spellcasting lesson."

"Oh Gods, and you didn't tell your own twin sister?" Marg turned to Loras with an accusing look in her eyes.

"It wasn't my secret to tell, sis," said Loras stubbornly, "I told you that already."

"And I asked him not to say a word," said Dany, raising her eyebrows at Marg who had the grace to blush. She muttered a 'sorry' to Loras who punched her lightly on the shoulder.

With Dany's nod of permission, Loras then proceeded to tell them about everything he gleaned from his Synergy magic experience. Marg and Missy then fired a hoard of questions at Dany, eager to know everything she was willing to share.

"So when did it all start between you two?"

"I think I've had feelings for him for a while, but we... we kissed for the first time during the Yule Ball," confessed Dany.

Marg whooped at that admission muttering "Couldn't blame you girl, pretty sure every girl at school would have banged him that night if they had the chance."

"And... when did you guys spend the night together for the first time?" came a tentative question from Missy.

"When did you first fuck him she means," Marg translated helpfully, a sly grin on her face.

Dany flushed again, smiling at the memory of one of the most explosive nights of her life, "Christmas eve."

"Waited until the coast was clear then, huh?" Marg giggled, "smart," she leaned forward with a smirk, "Was he mad when I made you kiss him in front of everyone at New Year's Eve?"

"I think he secretly liked it."

Marg laughed, pumping her fist triumphantly in the air, "I bet he did."

This went on in a similar manner for a while. Eventually, they came to lay down flat on their backs on Dany's bed, still peppering her with questions.

Eventually, Marg rolled to her stomach, propping herself up on one elbow, eyeing Dany with a sly smile, "So...," she drawled, waggling her eyebrows, "is he really a wolf in bed like I assumed?"

"No comment." Dany could feel her face turn bright red, thinking of the more steamy moments she had shared with Jon. _The red glint of his eyes, the sharp bite of his teeth on her neck, the absolute abandon with which he had thrust into her..._ She bit her lip and looked away, not wanting her eyes to give away what was on her mind.

"That's ok, honey," Marg winked at her, "the look on your face is answer enough."

After they finally ran out of questions, the four friends just lay there, staring at the dark red canopy in silence.

"So.. what was that thing?" whispered Missy tentatively, as though reluctant to disturb the light-hearted atmosphere.

Dany sobered up immediately at the question. She shook her head, "I don't know. I think Jon has an idea but he wouldn't tell me," she sat up, rubbing at her tired eyes, "It has something to do with whatever's in that room. He wouldn't tell me anything about THAT either. Except that it's dangerous."

Beside her, Marg yawned. Loras seemed to have dozed off already, his head on Dany's pillow, snoring softly.

"We should probably get some sleep," said Missy, smothering a yawn of her own, "it's very late."

Marg and Dany nodded in tired agreement.

Dany prodded Loras gently until he got up, grumbling and yawning. He and Marg departed the room, looking as exhausted as Dany felt. It had been a rough night.

Missy crawled into her bed, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Dany had a more difficult time falling asleep, her mind buzzing with restless thoughts. The pain in her arm did not help matters, either, and she twisted and turned in frustration, trying to find a somewhat comfortable position.

She eventually fell into an exhausted sleep, dreams full of mysterious doors and magical beasts with eyes as blue as ice.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon raised his hand to knock again. He heard a crash and a muttered oath coming from inside the room. The door finally opened to reveal Davos, blinking sleep away from his eyes, looking around in confusion and mild alarm.

"What's happened?" he asked in concern, "it's the middle of the night, lad."

He ushered him inside, "Is it about your meeting with Selmy? What did he say?"

Jon shook his head, "It's not about that... I'll fill you in later, we have something more important to discuss."

He stepped into the headmaster's chambers. They were in a sitting room. It was small but comfortable. The stone walls lit by torches and the fire roaring in the hearth. The headmaster invited him to sit on an armchair by the fire, sitting across from him, eyes now wide and alert.

"What is it?" he asked again, worry evident by the frown on his face.

Jon sighed. He was not looking forward to this conversation.

"I think..." he started, "that the Permafrost spell has been compromised."

The headmaster's frown deepened, "How? Why?"

"Students."

" _Students?_ " Davos' eyebrows shot up in surprise and alarm, he leaned forward to grip Jon's arm, "Was anyone hurt? What's happened?"

Jon shook his head hastily, clapping his hand reassuringly on Davos' shoulder. He knew how he felt about the students. They were like his own children to him. He had a great obligation to keep them safe.

"Nobody's injured, at least not seriously."

Davos leaned back with a sigh, getting up to grab a bottle of wine and two glasses, "You better start from the beginning."

Jon accepted the glass from him, taking a long sip. He then proceeded to tell the headmaster everything Dany had confessed to him about the spell, and about how he sensed the magic and arrived just in time to prevent disaster from striking. He refrained from mentioning the names of the students involved, and when Davos asked, he just replied with "It doesn't matter."

"No, I supposed it doesn't," sighed Davos, draining his wineglass, "they meant no harm, they just have inquisitive minds."

He chuckled drily, "I suppose I should be proud of them for their sheer boldness and initiative, I suppose at least one Gryffindor student was involved?"

Jon made a noncommittal hum but Davos got the idea anyway.

"And the skill involved," he mused, "Seventh-year students, for sure, it's a difficult spell to work."

_Indeed it is._ Jon felt warmth spreading through him momentarily, thinking of Dany. _Determination, courage, boldness, skill. Definitely some of her most attractive traits._

Davos' voice shook him out of his reverie.

"So what are the consequences? What are we to do now?"

Jon shook his head, "It's hard to tell. The spell may have weakened the Permafrost's effect, even if temporarily... we need at the very least to strengthen the defences around the school, we need to be on the alert. And..." he hesitated, "we won't be able to do that in secret, not effectively. I think it's time we tell the students. Not the whole story, but enough. They need to know, they need to be watchful too."

Davos nodded morosely, staring into the fire, "Aye, lad, I think you're right. This has come to that now."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany and her friends walked into the great hall the next morning to find that notices had popped-up on the noticeboards all over the school.

"There is to be an assembly after dinner tonight," announced Margaery, who pushed closer to one of the notices, quickly scanning the contents, "attendance is mandatory for all students."

"That can't be good," said Missy worriedly. They moved a little way away, standing in a quiet corner to talk.

"Do you think it has something to do with- with the _Permafrost_?" Missy whispered the last word, so quietly Dany could barely make out what she said.

Dany thought back to the look on Jon's face, to the conversation they had last night. "Has to be, right?" she whispered back, "Jon was worried, I could tell. This must be serious."

"At least we won't have to wait long to find out," Loras chipped in, grabbing Marg's elbow and gently dragging her away towards the breakfast table, "come on, let's gets something to eat before we have to go to class."

They sat together at the Gryffindor table, pulling plates and mugs towards them. But Dany wasn't very hungry. She half-heartedly poked through a cup of yoghurt with fresh fruit, eating very little, stomach tied up in knots, thoughts and theories flying through her mind. Her arm was still bothering her. The pain subsided somewhat, the potion Jon gave her helped a great deal, but it still itched. She absently rubbed at it, eyes scanning the staff table for Jon. He wasn't there.

They all noticed strange happenings in the castle during the rest of the day. When she passed by the large windows overlooking the front lawn of the castle, Dany spotted Professor Lannister standing on the sweeping lawn, wand in hand, both arms raised in the air. The air in front of him seemed to ripple and move, becoming strangely opaque for a few seconds before turning back to normal. Her friends crowded around her to stare.

"What do you suppose he's doing?" asked Missy curiously.

"I'm not sure..." murmured Dany, staring at Tyrion, now twirling his wand in complicated patterns in mid-air, "but I think this may have something to do with the protective enchantments around the school. He's right at the edge of the grounds, see?"

On another occasion, when they were hurrying out of the great hall after lunch, they spotted Professor Greyjoy tapping her wand on a series of doors to unused classrooms, transfiguring them into solid walls.

"This feels fucking ominous," murmured Loras, following Professor Greyjoy with his eyes, watching her tapping her wand firmly on every door in turn, muttering incantations under her breath.

Later, they were on their way to the great hall for dinner. Dany's heart skipped a beat when they passed by the huge entrance doors and saw Jon. He was standing in front of the closed doors, patiently etching runes and sigils on the ground in front of them. He was so absorbed in his task that he didn't even notice them walking by. Reluctant to break his concentration, they passed by him without saying a word.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


By the time dinner had started that evening, Dany could scarcely even remember what she learned during her lessons today. She sat by the dinner table alongside her friends, gulping down her food, impatiently waiting for the assembly to begin. The rest of the school was just as curious, it seemed, as there was a louder-than-usual buzz of conversation in the air. Dany thought she could detect a sense of unease coming from many of the students. It appeared that she wasn't the only one who was nervous and worried.

Once dinner was concluded, Headmaster Seaworth rose from his seat at the staff table. The whispers died down immediately, to be replaced by a nervous sort of silence.

"Good evening, students," he said in a gravelly voice, "we have assembled you here today to give you news about what is going on in the castle at this time." He paused for a second, gazing down at the students, who were listening in rapt attention.

"As some of you may have noticed," he continued, "members of the staff have been strengthening the security around the castle today. We are going to continue doing so in the upcoming days." 

He paused again when anxious whispers started rising again, waiting patiently until they subsided.

"The reason for that is... that we believe the castle may be of interest to dark wizards at this time, wizards who may try to break in."

There was a shocked silence as everybody struggled to digest what the headmaster had just said.

"Why would they try to break in now, Headmaster?" a voice called from somewhere in the Ravenclaw table.

"The castle is a trove of ancient and powerful magic," said the headmaster, "these wizards are interested in a powerful magical item that they believe they can obtain here."

"But what are they trying to do?" this time the question came from the Hufflepuff table.

The headmaster hesitated, glancing to his side. Jon Snow, who was sitting at his right side, rose to his feet. The crowd quieted again.

"The ministry does not wish us to tell you this," said Jon. His voice had a commanding tone to it, Dany noticed, he seemed to radiate strength and authority, "but we think you should be aware. Because you need to be watchful and careful," He swept a glance around the room and continued on, "this castle is currently of interest to Shadowalkers." 

It was as though an ice wave had washed over the room. _Shadowalkers_. Followers of the Night King.

There was a tumult of loud whispers and exclamations after this statement.

Dany felt as though ice was flooding her veins. The Night King. The mythical, fantastical creature that was defeated by her ancestors. The creature that, most of all, symbolized death. The creature that some believed was going to come back one day and bring forth eternal winter.

She felt goosebumps forming on her skin when she remembered the beast's ice-chip eyes, the cold emanating from it. This is what it was about... The Night King.

Missy shook her head in alarm, raising her voice over the din so they could hear her, "The Night King?" she said, "But... he was defeated. Ages ago. What's happening now?"

Dany shook her head, eyes searching for Jon, who was still standing by the headmaster, his face set in a grim expression. Something flickered in the back of her mind. She had the peculiar feeling she was forgetting something, missing something. Something important. Whatever it was, it was just beyond her reach. Her mind snapped back to the present when the headmaster's voice rang out again.

"We are going to impose some rules until we feel like the danger has passed." He then proceeded to outline the new security measures that were put in place for their protection.

All students were strictly forbidden from wandering around after hours and were to go back to their house common room directly after dinner, all classes were to take place indoors, except under special circumstances, students were not allowed outside the castle anymore unless supervised by a teacher, visits to Blackwater Village were no longer allowed, outdoors organized social events, including Quidditch matches, were cancelled until further notice. There was an especially loud uproar after this last announcement. The headmaster just shook his head gravely, declaring that their safety was at stake and that they would have to adhere to the new rules until such time as they decreed it safe again.

Once the assembly had ended, they were all strictly told to get back to their respective common rooms. Marg rushed over to join the Gryffindors, promising Professor Martell she would spend the night there. He raised an eyebrow, looking at the way she clutched Loras' arm and the determined expression on her face, but allowed her to go with a short nod.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


The four of them made their way up to the Gryffindor tower.

Once inside, they hurried up to Dany and Missy's room. The common room was overcrowded, everyone seemed to be noisily discussing everything that was said in the assembly. They entered the room and shut the door, all four of them plopping down on Missy and Dany's beds.

"So what do you reckon?" asked Loras anxiously from his perch on Missy's bed, "Do you think it's our fault? For the spell we tried to cast?"

Dany nervously chewed on her bottom lip, feeling a heavy sensation forming in her stomach, "Has to be... too much of a coincidence otherwise."

"Shit," Loras exhaled heavily and sprawled down on the bed, looking troubled.

"I'm sure it's under control," Missy tried to comfort them, "If the situation were really dire, they would evacuate the school. I suppose they think they can handle it."

"That's true..." Dany was certain headmaster Seaworth would never let the students, especially the under-age ones, stay in the castle if he so much as suspected they were in real danger. She got up from the bed, pacing around the room. She felt restless. She wished she could go speak to Jon. But that was out of the question now, what with the after-hours curfew.

"And what's that about the Night King?" asked Margaery, laying on her stomach on Dany's bed, hugging a pillow to her chest, "Where did that come from all of a sudden?"

"It's probably not all of a sudden," Missy pointed out, "they just told us about it now, I'm guessing they've known for a while."

The peculiar feeling returned to Dany, as if she had forgotten something important. She rubbed her fingertips over her temples in frustration. The thought was dangling just out of reach, she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Hey, Dany, don't you have a history book with the story of the Night King here somewhere?" Missy suddenly asked.

Dany snapped her fingers, forgetting her frustration for the moment, "Of course, yes."

She went rummaging in her trunk until her fingers closed around what she was looking for, pulling it out with a cry of triumph. She brought it over to her bed as her friends crowded around her to look at the title emblazoned on the glossy cover. _"The Winds of Winter: The Fall of the Night King."_

"Why do you even have that, Dany?" Marg inquired, surprised.

Dany shrugged, "It has dragons in it."

"Of course..."

Dany flipped quickly through the pages, finding the chapter she wanted. They all huddled close to read.

  


> _The final confrontation took place in the great ice planes Beyond the Wall. Aegon's armies had suffered great losses, many of the fighters succumbing to death, rising again to serve the Night King after their demise on the battlefield._
> 
> _All hope seemed lost when a deafening screech pierced the sky. Aegon's bannermen raised her heads to the sky to see Aegon himself, riding on the back of his dragon, Balerion, The Black Dread._
> 
> _Aegon then swept down from the sky, burning the Night King's armies with Dragonfire. The undead fell where they stood, burning to crisp on the frozen ground. The Night King alone remained standing between the charred remains of his armies, ice-blue eyes vacant and devoid of emotion._
> 
> _Aegon the conqueror then flew his dragon directly before the Night King, and with a single command, unleashed the Dragonfire. The Night King burned, shattering to a million pieces, leaving naught but shattered fragments of ice upon the frozen fields._
> 
> _Aegon had been hailed as a hero and was named Night's Bane by the people he swore to protect._
> 
> _Ever since this legendary fight, the entire area Beyond the Wall had suffered a magical break. Magic used there was prone to unpredictable, and often disastrous, results. The Ministry of Magic finally officially banned magic from being used in the area after several gruesome accidents. In recent years, the area has come to be known as The Anti-Magic zone._

  


This was where the chapter ended. The rest of the book described the happenings in the realm following the Night King's defeat. Dany closed the book, feeling dejected. There was absolutely no information there to give them any clue about the current situation.

"This is probably the wrong book to look at, anyway," said Missy reasonably, "It depicts ancient history. It would have no knowledge about what is happening now."

"I suppose," Dany sighed, "I don't even know what I was hoping to find there."

They continued discussing the matter late into the night until they could no longer keep their eyes open. Loras left to go back to his own room, and Marg made a bed for herself on the floor, using a mattress she had summoned from her own dormitory.

Despite the exhaustion, Dany took a long time falling asleep, gazing at the faint light of the moon outside the window.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you may have noticed I messed about with some of the book terms. I renamed "Death eaters" to Shadowalkers because, tbh, I always thought it was a stupid term (how does one "eat" death? Ugh). Also since the culprit is not Voldemort it felt more fitting to add a term relating to night.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	15. Lord Commander

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Managed to finish this one way earlier than I thought I would.
> 
> A reminder about the transportation rules in this verse: there is no good way to travel instantly between far apart locations (so no portkeys or floo network, apparition only works for short distances, etc). Because otherwise, it's just too damn convenient.
> 
> Enjoy!

  


The next few days had felt grim at best. A seeping gloom was hanging dark and heavy in the air. Everywhere they went, they could see a reminder of the current situation.

Some of the rooms and hallways in the castle were completely sealed off. The doors transfigured into solid walls or rerouted to lead somewhere else entirely. Dany and Missy had accidentally walked around in circles a few times while attempting to take a shortcut to the Potions classroom until they realized the doorway they were using was sending them back to the other side of the hallway.

After taking the long way around, they finally entered the room, mere seconds before Professor Martell swept in, swiftly instructing them to open their textbooks on chapter eleven.

They were brewing a blood-replenishing option today. Dany tried not to think too hard about the reasons why Martell thought they would benefit from knowing how to brew this potion. Beside her, Missy was listening intently to something Grey, who was standing on her other side in front of his own cauldron, was saying.

Dany stirred her potion carefully, keeping one eye on her open book. She stirred in a few drops of iguana blood, stirring twice counter-clockwise and then dropping in three Nightshade leaves. The potion turned from murky brown to deep blood red, just as described in the book. She bent over to scan the small side-note next to the recipe. It seemed that a few drops of Rose oil could make the potion taste better while having no effect on its viability. She usually opted for taking the extra mile, to perfect all that was perfectible, but today she was not in the mood. She decided it was a good place to stop.

At the end of the lesson, Dany siphoned off some of the dark-red liquid in her cauldron into a vial, corking it, labelling it and stopping to drop it on Martell's desk. She then hastily grabbed her bag, following Missy out of the classroom.

They hurried to the great hall for dinner. Grey went to sit with his friends at the Hufflepuff table, while Dany and Missy joined Marg and Loras, who were already seated at the Gryffindor table, plates heaped with generous portions of chicken-and-ham pie.

"So, guess what Grey told me," Missy started, after helping herself to some food from the large tray in the center of the table, "he said that the teachers are doing night patrols now, he overheard professor Greyjoy talking to the headmaster about patrol schedules."

Loras whistled, "Damn, that must be tough," he said, "teachers by day, guards by night," he cast a sideways glance at Dany. 

"Guess that means no more nightly fooling around for you and Professor Snow," he said in a lower voice, winking at her.

"I guess not," sighed Dany, poking her fork into her pie disinterestedly, "I wish I could talk to him," she said, frustrated, "maybe he'll give me more details about what's going on."

"Well," said Missy, raising her eyebrows, "maybe that can be arranged."

"It can?"

"Well, now that we know all about you two," she smirked at her, as Dany flushed slightly, "you can maybe hang around after Defence class, ask him some questions."

"You know, I just might do that," said Dany, finally bringing the forkful of pie into her mouth. Having her friends know about her relationship with Jon definitely had some benefits.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


To everyone's surprise, the next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson was to take place outside in the castle grounds. Due to the tightened security around the castle, they were all certain they would be forced to have the lesson indoors. However, it appeared that what they were learning was important enough to take the risk. There was little point in practicing combat magic indoors, after all.

As they moved closer to the black-clad figure of Jon, who stood there silently, waiting for everyone to arrive, Dany was surprised to see Professor Oberyn Martell standing by his side, regarding them all imperiously.

The day's lesson was devoted to, as Jon described it to them, _A practical combat magic exercise_.

"What it means," he explained, "is that you are to square off against one another in a duel," he waited for a moment until the nervous whispers died down, "you may use any and all spells in your arsenal in order to try and best your opponent, although I urge you to practice caution. Aim to disarm and disable, not maim."

He stepped slightly backwards and gestured to the area around them, "In order to avoid _unfortunate accidents_ , I have erected safeguards around the area." He pointed out some shiny runes etched on the ground and some shimmery golden totem-like statues arranged in a circle around them.

"These safeguards will absorb and deflect dangerous spells in their vicinity, to make sure none of you here is in mortal danger." He went on to explain that the safeguards had a limited lifespan and that they would have to be renewed every so often. Professor Martell was there to help supervise and to assist him with that task.

When they were told to split into pairs, Dany turned obediently to face her friends, just to feel Loras' hand gripping her shoulder as he murmured in her ear, "Dany, you know I love you, but I like my skin unburnt sooooo unless they make me, I'm not going to be your punching bag in a duel, no thank you."

He then turned to stand next to Missy, clearly pairing up with her. Dany just shook her head and rolled her eyes, suppressing a smile. _I guess I must be doing something right if even my friends won't face off against me._

She turned back to the rest of the class, eyes searching for another potential partner. Almost everybody seemed to be already paired off, turning to face each other, drawing their wands and muttering incantations under their breaths. She let her eyes roam, her gaze finally falling upon the one person that was still partner-less. Her eyes narrowed. _Oh, seven fucking hells._ It was Ramsay Bolton.

He seemed to realize she was the last person unpaired as well when he turned a malevolent gaze to her, "I guess it's you and me, Targaryen," he spat at her contemptuously.

Dany gave him an icy glare, turning to glance at Missy, who mouthed a _"sorry"_ at her, looking deeply apologetic. She felt a prickling sensation in the back of her neck and glanced back to see Jon's narrowed eyes focused on Ramsay. His gaze was unreadable to everyone else, but Dany could read him better now. She could feel the simmer of anger beneath the surface. The wolf was awake, sniffing the air for a scent of danger.

Dany turned her eyes back to Ramsay, meeting his leering gaze unflinchingly. She wasn't afraid of that arsehole. And if he tried anything shady, safeguards notwithstanding, she knew Jon would make good on his threat and make him deeply regret it. Probably murder him on the spot. If she didn't get to him herself first, that is.

"I remind you all the be cautious," Jon's voice rang out, eyes still fixed on Ramsay, "the safeguards should provide adequate protection, but I advise you not to test them. Nor me," he added drily. His tone was mild, but Dany could detect the warning in it.

Due to the potential for mayhem and unfortunate accidents, they were to practice two pairs at a time, each pair supervised by a teacher.

Dany stood, observing the various pairs duelling. It was nothing like the demonstration Professors Snow and Martell had shown them a while back. It was much slower, and obviously much less impressive. Most of the students were hesitant, slow to react and generally apprehensive. When it was Loras and Missy's turn, Loras kept glancing at the safeguards every so often as if to make sure they still worked, and Missy hovered about uncertainly, as though feeling guilty about firing offensive spells at him.

"Next pair, please," Jon called and Dany realized that Ramsay and herself were next in line. She stepped forward, drawing her wand, feeling the fire lighting up within her.

They moved apart, each standing by one of the safeguards, facing each other in silence.

"You may begin," said Jon, who was standing off to the side, watching them hawk-like with his wand in his hand, ready to step in should things get ugly.

Even before the words left Jon's mouth, Ramsay waved his wand and cried out an incantation. Dany, caught off-guard had to throw herself out of the way when sharp stone spikes rose rapidly from the ground, streaking towards her with frightening speed. She rolled to the ground, then aimed her wand at Ramsay, not bothering to get up. Her hex hit him square in the chest, knocking him off his feet and to the ground. She smiled to herself, hurriedly climbing back to her feet. Ramsay, his face red with anger and rage, sprung back up and raised his wand again, drawing furiously in mid-air. Fiery arrows zoomed towards her.

Dany threw her arm up, rapidly conjuring a Power barrier, which glowed bright gold in the pale sunlight. The arrows collided with it, exploding in a fiery haze. She felt the shield vibrating but was left unharmed. The shield gone, Dany raised her arm again, bringing forth a blizzard. Ramsay yelled and jumped back, raising his arms over his head to shield himself.

"That's not an offensive spell!" he screamed, his face red and furious.

"Any and all spells in your arsenal, Mr. Bolton," said Jon mildly from his position on the side, "I think this will do..."

Dany moved aside to let the next pair step forward, ignoring Ramsay's muttered curse and malevolent stare burning into her back. _A sore loser if I ever saw one._

She caught Jon's eyes for a moment while she was stepping away. His expression was schooled into what seemed like polite indifference, but she could see a spark of appreciation in his eyes. It caused a heatwave to course through her body. The last time he looked at her like that she ended up sneaking into his room and riding him to oblivion. However, she reminded herself wistfully, this was unlikely to happen tonight what with everything happening in the castle.

At the end of the lesson, Missy and Loras grabbed their bags, giving Dany a furtive glance and walked away towards the castle along with the rest of the students. Dany picked up her own bag, but instead of walking towards the castle, turned towards Jon, who was standing by one of the safeguards along with Professor Martell.

She approached them slowly. She cleared her throat, "Umm- J- Professor Snow, may I speak with you for a moment?" She felt flush blooming on her cheeks, hoping Martell didn't notice her near slip-up. Both teachers turned to face her, Jon's brow arching slightly.

"Professor Martell, can you please escort the rest of the students to the castle while I speak with Miss Targaryen?"

"Of course, of course," chirped Professor Martell, giving Dany a quick, mildly curious glance before turning away, striding towards the castle along with the rest of the class.

Dany stood there, staring at Jon, who was staring silently back. Once she was certain everyone else was out of earshot, she moved forward slightly, coming to stand closer to him.

His eyes scanned hers, his look searching, "What is it? Is everything alright?" he asked. She thought she could detect a trace of concern in his voice.

_I miss you._

She shook her head, "Yes, everything is fine, I just wanted to talk to you for a minute." She longed to move even closer and into his arms but she didn't dare. Not out in the open like this. She licked her lips nervously, "I wanted to ask... the new security measures around the castle..."

Jon's expression was hard to read, "What about them?"

"Is it... my fault? Is it because of the spell we cast?" she asked, her voice dropping down to a near whisper, despite the fact that there was nobody else around save for the two of them.

Jon's gaze didn't waver, still watching her silently. He finally spoke, "It is related to the spell. But as I said before, it's not your fault."

She moved a bit closer, as close as she dared when they were out in the grounds, in full view of the castle, "Jon, what is it about?" she asked tensely, "what is the Permafrost hiding?"

"Dany..." there was a warning in his tone.

"You told us it's related to the Shadowalkers," she pressed, "Is this object what they're after? Whatever is behind the Permafrost?"

She barely noticed, but her hand came to rest on his, wrapping around his wrist. He stiffened slightly, his eyes darkening. He carefully stepped back, his hand falling from her grasp. 

Dany felt an uneasy squirm in her stomach, slightly stung by what felt like rejection. 

"I never should have left the Permafrost in a place it could be stumbled upon by a student, the fault lies with me," he said quietly, his eyes shuttered, "but make no mistake, what you did was incredibly reckless. You've put yourself and your friends in serious danger, it was sheer dumb luck that I found you when I did." 

Dany felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. She knew all this, of course, the guilty sensation burning in her gut hadn't quite gone away since that fateful night. But hearing it from his lips made it so much worse.

"You should stay away from this before something else happens," his voice was flat and his eyes were as hard as iron.

She nodded, admitting defeat, biting her lip in an effort to keep her frustration at bay. She clutched her bag to her shoulder, turning to walk with him towards the castle. His hand on her shoulder startled and stilled her.

"I'm hoping this will all be over soon, and then you'll have the answers that you seek," he murmured, eyes burning into hers, "but until then, be careful."

On that cryptic note, he ushered her back towards the castle. They walked the rest of the way in silence.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany's friends were impatiently waiting for her when she returned.

"You look defeated," remarked Margaery, raising her eyebrows at the slump of Dany's shoulders, "I take it your talk with Jon didn't go well?"

Dany shook her head in frustration, "He won't talk to me," she muttered, "he won't tell me anything." She relayed her entire conversation with Jon to them.

"I'm sure there's a good reason he's not telling you more," said Missy sympathetically, "we already know it's something dangerous... surely he's just trying to protect you, Dany," she said gently.

 _Protect me._ She didn't want protection. She wanted him to bloody talk to her. He was worried, she could tell by the tension on his face, the rigidness of his shoulders. She wished so badly she could help him, ease whatever burden he was carrying. But he didn't seem to want to share it with her. It was so incredibly frustrating. After hearing about the terrors that gripped his nightmares, after everything they'd shared... some parts of him were still closed off to her.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


The atmosphere in the castle turned downright oppressive the following days. It felt smaller, what with all the locked doors and inaccessible passageways. For Dany, it started feeling stifling, more like a glorified prison than a school.

Jon's appearance was also weighing heavy on her mind. He was frowning even more often than usual and looked as though he was under constant strain. She could also detect traces of exhaustion in his eyes, which was not surprising considering his new nightly patrol duties. It had become near impossible to speak to him privately, as well. Although even if she could, she wasn't sure what she would say, as he already refused to give her any more information as to what was going on. 

What she really longed to do was to hold him, kiss him, show him that even if he couldn't talk to her, she was still there for him. And, if she were honest with herself, there was an uncomfortable ball of icy fear bounding around in her stomach ever since their latest conversation. The cold and distant look in his eyes.. she couldn't get it out of her mind. She wanted him to look at her the way he did before. The warmth, the tenderness, the... love, that she felt when he looked at her. She sorely missed it. 

And she was afraid that something had changed.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_A raven took flight, looking around with its many eyes, exploring, searching... a mountain, shaped like an arrowhead, looming in the distance... ground covered in frost, traces of an eternal winter... a rock made entirely of ice, an almost-beating heart embedded in its core... then a crack, the ice was cracking, breaking, shattering into a thousand glittering shards.... a vast wall, the tallest the world has ever seen toppling to the ground, crashing, disintegrating into dust... and eyes.. eyes as blue as ice... death opened its eyes and looked straight into his._

Far north in Winterfell, Bran Stark's eyes turned from milky-white to their regular dark blue.

He raised his head, turning to Hodor, his ever-faithful servant, "We need to send word," he said in a monotone, detached voice, turning his eyes to the window, "Winter is here."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


"Dany, are you listening?" Missy's voice penetrated her preoccupied mind.

"Huh?" she raised her head from the book to find her friends staring at her. She couldn't remember reading a single word for the last ten minutes. The four of them were in the library, working on the latest potions essay.

"I asked, did you find anything?"

"Find anything...?"

Missy rolled her eyes, "About fast-acting poisons, what are we doing here?"

"Right, sorry, I'm just..." Dany shook her head in frustration, slamming the book shut.

"What's wrong?" asked Marg, frowning at her in concern.

She hesitated for a fraction of a second. But all three of them already knew about her and Jon, she might as well confide in them. 

"I'm just... worried," she admitted, lowering her voice to a whisper, "Jon hasn't been looking well lately, and he won't tell me anything, he barely looks at me, and I just... I wish he talked to me, I wish he... let me in," she muttered, nervously tugging at the end of her braid.

Marg raised her eyebrow, "When you say _'let me in'_ do you actually mean you want to sleep with him ag-"

"NO, Marg," Dany hissed, annoyed, "this isn't about sex. He's obviously worried and under a lot of pressure, I just want to help."

"Alright, alright, don't bite my head off," Marg rolled her eyes. She folded her arms over her chest and fixed Dany with a pointed look, "Well, go and talk to him, Dany, make him listen."

"I _tried_ , I-"

"I've never known you to back down from anything," Marg raised an eyebrow, the challenge clear in her eyes, "show him some of that determination of yours that he likes so much."

Dany was silent for a moment, considering. It was true, she wasn't one to back down from a challenge. Especially when it came to Jon. She could feel the familiar fire burning in her gut.

"Ok," she said with a fresh sense of resolve, "I'm going to talk to him tonight, but..." she hesitated, "we're not supposed to be wandering around after hours, they're doing night patrols, right? They're sure to be more alert than ever. What if I get caught?"

"Leave it to me," declared Marg, in an equally determined voice, "I'll come with you, just to escort you there, I'm a master of cloaking spells."

"It's true," piped Loras, "she's become very adept at eavesdropping on our grandmother's private conversations with ministry officials..."

"You bet," smirked Marg, "I've perfected the art of concealment, I'll have your back, Dany," she smiled at her.

Dany smiled gratefully, "Thank you Marg."

And so it was settled. Marg was to join them in the Gryffindor tower and the two of them were to sneak out once the common room had emptied for the night.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon was sitting in his office when he heard the slight noise from the window. He raised his head to see a jet-black raven sitting on the window sill, staring at him unblinkingly.

Jon got up quickly and threw the window open, the bird flying inside, eerily silent. There was only one person in the world who communicated through ravens. _Bran._

Jon grabbed his wand from where it was laying on his desk and tapped it gently on the raven's head. A scroll materialized seemingly out of thin air, tightly furled and bound to the raven's leg. Jon untied the scroll, and the bird, in a flash of an eye, spread its wings and took flight, right out of the window.

Jon unrolled the scroll, scanning the short text, heart beating frantically at the words inked there. He could almost feel the chill starting to permeate the air around him.

_Winter is here._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Later that evening, Dany and her friends sat in the Gryffindor common room, waiting for it to empty. The common room was a lot more crowded and noisy nowadays, as the students were confined to it after hours. It took a while for everyone to get tired of discussing the Shadowalkers and the happenings in the castle and to finally go to bed.

Once the last of the stragglers left the room to climb up to their dormitories, Dany and Marg stood up, pulling their cloaks around their shoulders and clutching their wands.

"Good luck, girls," whispered Missy, as she and Loras waved them away, "be careful."

The two girls walked to the common room door, opening it and quickly slipping outside.

They hurried along the deserted passageways in the dark. For some reason, they encountered nobody.

"Aren't there supposed to be night patrols?" whispered Marg with a frown, "where is everyone?"

"Good question..."

They had to take a detour to bypass a closed-off corridor, bringing them to the hallway which housed the staff room. Its door stood slightly ajar, letting light from within spill out into the corridor.

As they approached the room, they could hear loud voices coming from it. After a quick look at each other, they slowed down, and cautiously tip-toed closer, stopping right outside the door to listen.

"- had another vision? What did he see?"  
Dany thought it was the voice of Professor Martell.

"He saw him. Beyond the wall." Dany realized with a pang it was Jon's voice.

There was a slew of voices clamouring and murmuring.

"Him? Who is _him?_ " asked Margaery in a whisper.

Dany shrugged and glared at her, pressing a finger firmly to her lips.

"What of the Heart of Winter? Is it still protected?"

"It has the utmost protection we can give it," answered the headmaster's voice, "we believe it to be secure at this time."

"Shouldn't we leave it to the ministry to handle?" asked another voice, which belonged to the transfiguration teacher, Professor Yara Greyjoy.

"The ministry doesn't believe there is an imminent danger," said the headmaster, "they don't trust the visions."

"They why should we?" asked Professor Greyjoy, "do we have any proof other than the Greenseer's word?"

"By the time we get proof, it might be too late," chimed Professor Lannister.

"Bran's visions have not failed us before, I believe we should at least check if they have merit," said Jon, "but we shouldn't leave the school, nor the students, without protection."

"Aye, agreed," said the headmaster, "what is the plan then, Lord Commander?"

Dany and Marg stared at each other in confusion. _Lord Commander_? That was the title of the commander of the Night's Watch. Surely he wasn't here at the Academy. The witches and wizards of the Night's Watch rarely ventured south of the wall. Their work was North.

Then Dany felt her insides freeze when Jon spoke again.

"I think it's best if I go back to Castle Black. See for myself what is happening. With some luck, we might be able to keep the danger away from the school and from the students."

Her hands started shaking, she stared ahead, eyes unseeing, heart racing.

_Jon. Jon was the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Which meant he never left the Watch as he said. And now he was leaving, he was going back. And he never told her any of this._

She could hear the headmaster's voice as if from far away, "When are you leaving?"

Jon's voice rung out again, "Immediately. I will pick up a few items from my chambers and then I'll head north. I have arranged for transport."

She could then hear the sounds of chairs scraping against the floor, then footsteps.

In her daze, she felt Margaery tug on her arm.

"Dany, we have to go," she whispered urgently.

But her legs were seemingly glued to the floor, her knees shaking. _He was leaving._

"Dany, let's GO. Now," Marg whispered frantically, tugging harder on her arm, "they're about to come out, they can't find us here."

Dany let herself be dragged away by Margaery, around the corner and out of sight.

They waited for a few minutes after everyone had disappeared, presumably back to their respective rooms. Dany numbly followed Margaery, who was gently tugging her towards the Gryffindor tower. But a few steps later, Dany stopped abruptly. Marg turned around, a crease of concern on her face, "Dany, come on, we can't be caught wandering around after hours."

Dany just shook her head, determination replacing the numbness, "He's about to leave, I have to go see him."

"Dany..." She ignored Marg's scolding whisper.

"Go back to the Gryffindor tower, Marg," she said resolutely, already walking away, "I'll see you there."

Marg had no choice but to comply, casting one more worried look at Dany beyond her shoulder and hurrying in the opposite direction.

Dany sped up, almost running now. She had no idea how long it will take Jon to take whatever it was he needed from his room, and she had to get there first.

She finally stopped in front of his closed door. She pressed her ear to the door, listening. She couldn't hear a thing. Without hesitating, she placed her hand on the doorknob and opened the door, quickly entering and closing the door behind her.

Jon's eyes shot up in surprise as she entered. There was a black duffel bag resting on the bed. She could see some books poking out of it, along with something that looked like fur. He was holding _Beyond the limits of Magic_ in his hand, as though he was about to place it in the bag. When he saw her, however, he dropped the book on the bed and straightened.

For a few moments, they just stared at each other. Dany let her eyes travel over him. He was wearing black, as usual, but this time it was different.

Instead of the usual jeans and t-shirt, he was in uniform. All black and smooth of creases, as if recently pressed. There was an emblem on his left breast pocket. It depicted a large, crumbling wall, embossed with a shield and a pair of crossed wands. _The Night's Watch._

She could see the small crown imprinted right over the shield. Only one person in the world was carrying this mark on their uniform. The Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. _Jon._

"Dany, what are you doing here?" his quiet voice asked, breaking the silence.

She didn't bother answering, "You're the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch," she said instead, steel in her voice, "You never left, have you?"

If Jon was surprised at her question he gave no indication of it. He just closed his eyes momentarily, "No."

"Then why did you come here? To The Academy?"

Jon sighed, "That is a long story, which I can't recount right now. I must head back at once."

"This is it, then? You're leaving?" she asked, anger and apprehension fighting for dominance in her stomach.

He ran his hand through his hair, in his trademark nervous gesture, "Aye, Dany, I have to," he said quietly.

"When are you coming back?"

Jon said nothing. A cold, icy fear started spreading in her stomach. _No_. The slow realization that was dawning on her made her near physically ill.

"Are you coming back?" She hated that her voice quivered just then.

"Dany-"

But she cut him off, "Were you ever going to tell me?" Without waiting for an answer, that she knew wouldn't come anyway, she just shook her head, feeling rage seeping through her.

He stepped from around the bed, coming to stand closer to her, "Dany, I must leave," he murmured. He raised his hand tentatively to touch her face, but she jerked away, unable to prevent her eyes from filling with tears.

"How could you?" were the words that tumbled from her mouth. Her mind completed the rest of it.

_How could you make me fall in love with you and then leave?_

"I've never wanted to lie to you," he whispered. The pain in his voice was her undoing. He had no business being in pain when it was her own heart that was cracking open in her chest.

He never saw it coming. In a flash, her hand rose and she smacked him across the face, leaving a reddish imprint on his cheek. He winced slightly but didn't flinch. He looked like he thought he deserved nothing more.

There was a gentle knock on the door, "They're ready for you, Lord Commander," came Professor Martell's voice from behind the door. It was followed immediately by the sound of his retreating footsteps.

Jon glanced at the bag on his bed and then at Dany's face again.

"Go then, just go," whispered Dany, now unable to stop the tears from cascading down her cheeks.

He went over to the bed, zipping the bag shut and hoisting it over his shoulder. He stepped closer to her on his way to the door. He was so close. Too close. She couldn't think straight.

"I've never meant to hurt you, Dany," he murmured, "I never planned for this... for us. To feel about you the way I do," he drew a deep shuddering breath, as though he was steeling himself for something, "I-"

"Don't," she whispered, she knew she couldn't take it if he said what she suspected he was about to say, "just go."

He closed his eyes in defeat, moving away silently. He opened the door and slipped outside, his bag on his shoulder. She could hear his footsteps as he moved away and eventually out of earshot. 

She went over to the window, overlooking the sweeping grounds. After a few minutes, she could see a dark figure, outlined by the light of the moon, which was shining full and bright tonight. He kept walking until he just crossed the line where the protective enchantments around the school ended. She then saw a black unmarked helicopter descending silently from the sky, and Jon climbing into it. The chopper immediately rose up, flying away and out of sight.

She couldn't even remember how she got back to the Gryffindor tower and up the stairs to her room. The memory was a blur, she could have zoomed there by magic for all she knew. All she remembered was that her friends were all waiting for her there, anxious looks upon their faces. 

She collapsed then into Margaery's arms, sobbing uncontrollably, feeling as though something inside of her was broken beyond repair.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany blinked, slowly drifting awake. She felt exhausted and drained. She had barely slept the previous night.

After going back into her room and sobbing in Marg's arms for what felt like hours, she had wiped her tears and told her friends everything that had transpired. They listened, offering their silent support, which she, had she not felt completely hollow, would be incredibly grateful for.

Her friends spent an inordinate amount of time that night discussing what she and Marg overheard from the staff meeting.

"Who were they talking about, do you think?" asked Loras.

"Must be some powerful Shadowalker, they sounded worried," Marg frowned thoughtfully, "worried enough for Jon to leave to handle it personally," She bit her lip, throwing a glance at Dany. But she was just sitting there, listening, too numb to even cry anymore.

"And The Heart of Winter, what is that?" Missy drummed her fingers on the edge of the bed, frowning in concentration, "you know, I feel like I've heard that name before, but for the life of me I can't remember where..."

"Whatever it is, I bet this is what is protected by the Permafrost," said Loras, "can't be a coincidence, right?" Everybody had nodded silently in agreement, deep in thought.

They had finally gone to sleep afterwards, Marg spending the night again on the floor of their room.

Dany shook her head clear of the memories and slowly crawled out of bed.

"Hey," she raised her eyes to see Missy sitting up in her bed, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Marg was still snoozing on the mattress spread on the floor.

"How are you doing?"

Dany just shrugged, but Missy seemed to understand. She shot Dany a sympathetic glance while getting dressed for breakfast.

Missy then nudged Marg awake. Shortly after, they walked into the great hall just in time to hear Headmaster Seaworth announcing that The Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons would, for the time being, be taught by Professors Martell and Lannister. The only explanation offered for Jon's absence to the rest of the students is that he had "urgent family matters" to attend to and that it was not currently known when he would be back.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


The next few days passed in a haze for Dany. She felt like a ghost. Going through the motions, observing everything with a strange sort of detachment. She could barely remember what happened during class, although she somehow managed to produce satisfactory results on all of her homework assignments.

She was having a hard time sleeping, sometimes laying awake for hours, staring up at the dark red canopy over her bed, tossing and turning restlessly.

Her magic was suffering as well. Her spellwork lacked its usual brilliance, the results seemingly a reflection of her numb frame of mind. She remembered that Jon told her once that her magic came from her heart. It was no wonder, then, she thought to herself, that her magic was broken. Just like her heart was.

It wasn't until the following Monday that something had happened to break Dany out of her stupor. The four of them were sitting in Dany and Missy's room, which had become their location of choice when they wanted to discuss something privately. They were discussing the Heart of Winter for what felt like the hundredth time, Missy still insisting she had heard about it somewhere.

"Maybe you saw it in a book while we were researching the Permafrost magic," suggested Marg, lounging on her back on Missy's bed, "since it also sounds like it could be related to ice magic."

Missy shook her head, "No, if it were so recently I would have remembered, but I could swear I remember reading..." She suddenly snapped her fingers, exclaiming excitedly, "You guys, I think I know, I remember-" with no further explanation, she rushed to her trunk, rummaging inside noisily until she pulled something out. 

It looked like a children's book and it was written in High Valyrian. Dany glanced at the title. _"Vestriarzira hen Bantāzma"_ , which roughly translated to _"Tales of the Long Night."_

"Is that a children's fairytale book?" asked Marg, casting a confused glance at it. She couldn't read Valyrian.

"Yes, it's called Tales of the Long Night," said Missy excitedly, riffling through it, searching for something. She found what she was looking for and cried out in triumph, "I knew it! There it is!"

"There what is? Translate it for those of us who can't read Valyrian?" asked Loras.

Missy came to sit cross-legged on the bed, propping the open book on her knee.

"This part tells of the defeat of the Night King by Aegon the Conqueror," she said, "here we go..."

  


> _The Night King stood silent, his army going up in flames all around the ice fields. He did not seem to mind, merely fixing his ice-blue eyes on the determined face of the king, who was hovering in front of him on dragonback._
> 
> _At his rider's whispered command, the dragon swooped low to land on the ground. Aegon then stepped off from his mount and walked to stand directly in front of the Night King. He then reached out his hand and ripped the frozen still-beating heart from the Night King's chest. The Night King then shattered to dust, the only piece remaining the frozen Heart of Winter, casting an eerie blue light around it._
> 
> _The only remaining piece of the Night King was then sent to the ends of the earth, to be buried under powerful magic, to ensure that the Night King would never rise again._

  


As Missy finished, silence drew over the room, as everybody stared at her in shock.

"But..." Margaery shook her head, "this isn't how it happened, we saw what it said in the history book, the Night King was defeated by dragonfire, and he didn't leave any pieces of himself behind."

"Well, it's a fairytale book," said Missy in a frown, "I wouldn't call it historically accurate, but... there's usually some truth to legends and fairytales. And it's the only place we know of that mentions The Heart of Winter. Anyway..." she continued on, "it seems to fit, doesn't it? The Shadowalkers, the Heart of Winter, the Permafrost? Buried under powerful magic indeed..."

Dany shook her head, feeling dread gripping her inside, "So this is what the Shadowalkers are trying to do? Bring the Night King BACK? And they need The Heart of Winter to do it?"

More silence followed that statement, everyone digesting what it meant.

"But then..." frowned Loras, "if they can't bring him back without The Heart of Winter, which we know is still here, then why would Jon leave? What could be more important than protecting it?"

Dany shook her head in frustration, they seemed to be close to the answer... the entire story dangling just beyond their grasp. But she felt certain they had an almost accurate picture now.

 _The Night King. Death and frost and the threat of everlasting winter._

Dany knew that many people believed he wasn't truly defeated, that he would be back someday, but she never really thought about it, never really imagined this was real or that it would happen in her lifetime. It seemed to fit, though, she felt as though the pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place.

_The Night's Watch, the organization that was founded in order to battle the Night King and his followers, their placement right at the edge of the Anti-Magic zone... a zone with came to be where he was defeated the first time... Jon, coming to the Academy right then, when the Permafrost was put in place to protect a powerful magical object, The Heart of Winter itself, the only thing in the world that could signal the return of the Night King._

And Jon... Jon went North, back to castle black and the Anti-Magic zone. Following a Greenseer's vision. A vision about the Night King. She could guess the rest. She remembered the headmaster's words to them during the assembly, _The castle is a trove of ancient and powerful magic_ , which was likely the reason that The Heart of Winter was there, to be protected by the ancient magic surrounding the castle.

But it hadn't always been there, she realized with a pang, they just moved it there this year, probably because they knew something, or at least suspected, maybe another vision from the Greenseer. It was brought to the castle along with Jon. Jon was there to protect it as well. The Heart of Winter and the inhabitants of the castle, which could be in danger just by proximity to it. Since the Shadowalkers were after it.

"Dany?" Missy asked finally. She had been silent for a long time.

She shook her head and recounted everything she suspected. Everybody nodded, realization dawning on them as well.

Loras snapped his fingers, "This is not the only reason Jon came here," he said, "to protect the Heart of Winter, he was also preparing us, wasn't he? For the eventuality that we'd need to protect ourselves," everybody nodded slowly in agreement, it all suddenly made sense now. The combat magic, the powerful shields, all designed to make sure they could protect themselves should something happen.

Dany swallowed. Worry and fear rose like waves within her, her throat tightening and hands shaking. _Jon was back North, following a vision..._ She could barely come to terms with the possibility that the Night King was awakening, but also... Jon. Jon was about to take him on. 

"Fuck," She hopped off the bed, pacing restlessly around, feeling like a caged animal. He was out there, possibly in mortal danger and there was nothing she could do about it.

"What is it?" asked Missy, following her movements with concern in her eyes.

"He's... he's _gone_ , to fight Shadowalkers and undead mythical creatures and he didn't- he never-" she could feel her eyes tearing up again and wiped at them angrily, "he never told me. He never told me who he really was, why he was really here, never said he would have to go back there and that maybe..." she took a deep breath, this last part was difficult to finish, "... maybe I'll never see him again." She finished with a whisper, sinking down to sit on the floor, hugging her knees to herself, tears cascading silently down her cheeks.

"Dany..." Marg came to sit next to her, squeezing her shoulders gently, "I may not know him as well as you do, but I've seen the look in his eyes when he saw you laying on the floor... after our little bear incident." Dany smiled weakly through her tears.

"He may have kept things from you, sounds to me like he had to, but I think..." she hesitated, "I think you know who he really is," she smiled gently, wrapping her arm around Dany's shoulders, "we can never really hide from the ones we love... and if the way he looks at you is any indication, he's completely gone over you."

Dany laughed through her tears, resting her head over Marg's shoulders. After a short while, Missy and Loras came to sit next to them as well.

"And besides," whispered Marg, now rubbing Dany's back soothingly, "he's the most bad-ass wizard I've ever seen. If anyone can take on the Night King, it would be him."

It was the first time since the night Jon left that Dany started seeing a faint ray of light in the place where there was only darkness before.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can pretty much expect ongoing action until the conclusion.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	16. True North

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi,
> 
> So, things have been crazy lately. I kinda wish I could just hole myself at home like a hermit until that Zombie Apocalypse outside blows over :S Hope all of you are doing well.
> 
> Well, here's a chance to distract yourselves from reality for a few minutes with a new chapter. Yey!
> 
> Enjoy!

  


Jon stepped into the cavernous entrance hall of Castle Black, surveying his surroundings. He had never noticed before how gloomy it felt there, how cold and dark. In comparison with Westeros Academy, where the walls were decorated with innumerable torches, which gave the place a warm cozy feeling, it felt dark, damp and depressing.

Although, Jon suspected it hadn't been only the darkness that changed the way he felt about this place. It was more the absence of something. Or someone. _Dany._

He couldn't stop seeing her tear-stained face in his mind. The pain on it, the betrayal. He felt near physically ill for causing her such pain and heartbreak.

_Stupid. What did you think would happen?_ , his mind taunted him. He knew this. Deep down he had known that, sooner or later, it would come to this. But he was too weak to stay away.

He had nearly broken down when she had asked him if he were coming back, the fear evident in her quivering voice. What he wanted to say was that he would move all seven heavens to get back to her. But he didn't. He couldn't. Because the sad truth was that he didn't know. He had no idea what it was that awaited him beyond the wall. 

He had survived the treachery brought on by the influence of the Night King once, he didn't know whether he would again. And the last thing he wanted was to make a promise to her that he couldn't keep. _I shall live and die at my post._ There was a reason this was part of the oath of the Night's Watch. Because what they did was dangerous.

In olden times, members of the Night's Watch were not allowed to have families, to father children. That rule was long since abolished, of course, but Jon supposed he could see why it was thought to be needed. It would be hard to risk your life for duty when you had something so precious to lose. Something like love.

"Lord Commander! You're back!" Jon turned around to see his second-in-command, Edd Tollett, hurrying towards him, breaking him from his dark thoughts.

"Didn't think you'd be back so soon," he said, concern evident on his face, "what's happened?"

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Jon asked drily, a faint smile on his lips. It was good to see his old friend again.

Edd laughed, "Well, to tell you the truth, being acting Lord Commander of the Night's Watch is not all it's cracked up to be," he clapped him on the shoulder, "feel free to take it back whenever you wish."

"Appreciate it," Jon felt his momentary happiness at seeing his friend again being replaced by the heavy weight of the reason that brought him back there.

"Bran had another vision."

Edd's expression turned serious in an instant, "What happened? Did he See the Night King?"

"Aye, he saw him here. In the ice fields beyond the wall."

"Shit," Edd sighed, "had to be in the Anti-Magic zone, huh. He's surely not making things easy, but..." he frowned suddenly, "Does that mean he's already awoken? And if he did... why would he be here? The Heart of Winter is in the Academy still, isn't that right? Isn't that what he's after?"

"It is, as far as we know," he had asked himself the exact same questions numerous time since he got the message from Bran, "maybe he just hasn't gotten that far yet. We haven't managed to figure out exactly what the Shadowalkers are planning. And if we can head him off before he gets anywhere near the school and the students in it, that's a chance we should take."

"Fucking Shadowalkers," Edd mumbled sourly, "lunatics if you ask me."

Jon turned and started walking towards the cavernous chamber they used as a meeting room. This room was at least a tad less gloomy, with the fire roaring in the enormous hearth.

"So what is it that we're going to do?" Edd hurried to walk by his side.

"We're going into the Anti-Magic zone to see what's happened," said Jon, his mind already busy going over everything they'd have to take with them, "gather everyone, we are to depart as soon as preparations are complete."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


A surprisingly short amount of time later, everyone was gathered in the entrance hall, ready to depart. Jon surveyed them all. The serious faces, the determined expressions. They used to feel like brothers to him, all of them. They used to be family, almost as much so as his real family. But the incident... his attempted murder had disillusioned him.

People were fickle. People could be corrupted, tempted to do things for themselves instead of thinking of the greater good.

He was still their Lord Commander, he would still lay down his life for them because it was his duty. _I am the shield that guards the realms of men._ But it was not the same anymore. _He_ was not the same anymore. 

"Lord Commander," he was shaken out of his reverie by one of the brothers stepping up to him, "are we all going?"

"I've posted two guards to watch the castle," he replied, shrugging his heavy furs on, it was cold in the Anti-Magic zone, "other than that, aye, everyone is going. Depending on what we find there, we might very well need it."

The man nodded at him and turned back, slipping into his own furs.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany rounded a corner, her mind far away, deep in thought. She had stopped by the bathroom on her way out of Charms class and was now making her way to the great hall to join her friends for dinner.

Her mind, predictably, was occupied with thoughts of Jon. Most of her anger had faded, even if the hurt did not. She was still smarting from the betrayal and the lies, but she was mostly just worried. She often tormented herself with thoughts of what horrors he could be facing, out there in the cold North.

And she missed him. _So damn much._ Being apart from him had been difficult even when he was physically there, but now... it was a whole new different type of agony.

She didn't appreciate it before. The ability to just look up and see his handsome face, serious and focused as he was explaining something to a student, to glimpse him frowning into his coffee cup at breakfast, to steal a glance at the end of Defence class just to see his eyes flash in her direction, the look in his eyes one that was reserved for her and her alone...

She was so deep in thought that, for a moment, she did not recognize the meaning of the tugging sensation in her mind. _Magic_. She raised her head sharply just as she was propelled forward, nearly slamming into a wall, only turning at the last moment and immediately drawing her wand.

She felt a wave of anger engulf her. Ramsay Bolton. He was standing in the back of the hallway, wand drawn, a venomous expression on his twisted face. _What the hells was his FUCKING problem?_ She asked him as much.

"You are," he spat, "little teacher's pet, aren't you?" he hissed at her, "well, Professor Snow not here to give you special treatment now, is he?"

"And what special treatment would that be?" she asked contemptuously, "saying that I'm better than you? Because that's not _special treatment_ ," she smirked, "that's just the truth."

The expression on his face turned ugly, "You fucking bitch, you're no better than me, you're fucking him, aren't you?"

She felt it rising within her then. Fire. The pain of Jon's leaving. Rage at Ramsay's insinuation. All of it swirled together into one volatile mass.

Ramsay continued, "I bet that's the only reason he thinks you're anything spec-"

Quick as lightning, she threw up her arm. Her wand moved in a blur. 

Ramsay did not even have the chance to shout an incantation when he was blasted off his feet as the ground shook underneath him. He crashed to the floor with a loud thump. Dany was an inch from him in a flash. She jerked her wand and he was disarmed, his wand flying from his hand to land further away on the corridor floor.

The look in his eyes was pure hate as he was lying there, staring up at her.

"Don't ever come near me again," she said coldly. She dropped her hand and walked away, not bothering to look back.

She was so _done_ with Ramsay fucking Bolton.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_Cold... so cold... it was penetrating her very bones. Her breath rose in white puffs in front of her, expelling frigid air from her lungs._

_She was in The Academy. The castle dark and quiet all around her, not a soul in sight. She looked down upon herself. She was wearing her usual school uniforms, freshly laundered._

_She wandered around, tracing her hand affectionately on the rough stone wall. She found herself in a cavernous room, almost as large as the great hall. It was dark. Only a single torch shone on the wall opposite her. The large room was eerily empty. She wondered idly where everyone was, but it didn't seem so important._

_She heard a slight hiss and turned curiously to investigate. She came to stand in front of the doorway she just walked in from. It was encased in a thick slab of ice. _Curious_. Her idle mind reminded her that she had seen something like just this before but, from some reason, the realization didn't worry nor startle her._

_She turned around to keep investigating and saw a black-clad figure standing opposite her, his arms crossed over his chest. She smiled tenderly when his gray eyes met hers. Jon._

_She went over to him, trailing her fingers idly over his shoulder then his arm, at the Direwolf tattoo etched in his pale skin. She raised her eyes to look at his face. His eyes were sad. So sad._

_"Jon," she murmured, "what are we doing here?"_

_His hand rose to gently cup her cheek, eyes burning into hers, "Don't you know?"_

_She didn't. She moved closer to him, brushing her lips against his in a breath of a kiss. She didn't care much, now that he was here. They were together and that's all that mattered._

_His eyes were still sad when the kiss ended._

_"Ready?" he asked quietly._

_She blinked, confused. Ready for what? It felt familiar somehow... like he had asked her that before. But she couldn't quite remember when. He backed away from her, vanishing into darkness._

_A chill started spreading through her chest. It was the first time she started noticing something was wrong. Very wrong. She looked around again, wrapping her arms around herself. She suddenly saw a hooded figure moving past her. It approached an unmarked door that wasn't there before. There was a faint silvery light coming from the space underneath it. The figure then placed its hand on the door and it opened with a crack. It went inside the room._

_Dany hurried after the figure, poking her head beyond the threshold. She saw the figure reaching out its gloved hand and grasping something. It was a beating heart. Made entirely out of ice. It was pulsating slightly. The figure then stopped dead in its tracks as if it sensed her. It turned around to face her and she saw._

_From under the hood, she saw blue eyes, blue as chips of ice, glowing in the darkness..._

Up in the Gryffindor tower, Daenerys woke up with a start, bolting up in her bed, her heart racing and her breathing ragged.

She could still feel the cold permeating her bones and the ghost of Jon's lips on hers. Fear squeezed her heart like a vice. 

It was no mere dream, she was sure of it. She had only one dream before that had felt so real. That still felt so real when she'd woken up. And it ended up being not a dream at all, but a vision. 

A vision of a future that had not yet come to pass.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


"Are you _sure_ this wasn't just a dream?" Marg asked her for the third time.

They were standing at the great hall, leaning against a wall just off of the breakfast table, which Dany had whisked them away from after letting them eat in a hurry. She had described her dream to them in meticulous detail.

Dany rolled her eyes, "Yes, I told you, I'm sure. It didn't _feel_ like a dream."

"But," Marg paused as a group of chattering students passed by right next to them. She lowered her voice to a whisper, "it makes no sense Dany, you've never had visions before, why would they start now?"

Dany glanced around nervously, then pulled them away to a deserted corridor just off of the great hall so they could speak more privately.

"Well," she mumbled, cheeks tinged pink, "I sort of had one vision before... I know what it feels like."

"Oh?" Marg arched a surprised eyebrow and Missy and Loras scooted closer to listen, looking surprised as well.

"Yeah... it was back in October..." she then took a deep breath and recounted the vision she had shared with Jon. She skipped most of the intimate details, but the image was clear enough for them to get the idea.

"Soooo... you had a sex-dream about Jon-" "It was _NOT_ a dream, I told you, it actually happened!" "- and now you're some kind of a Seer?"

"Look, guys," Dany sighed in frustration, "I know how it sounds. But it felt the same way as last time..." she bit her lip, trying to recall the exact sensation, "when I woke up that first time... I could still recall how it felt like to kiss him, the touch of his hands on me and this... this felt the same," she rubbed her arms in memory of the cold, "I was still so cold when I woke up... I know it was no ordinary dream, I just know it," she finished.

"Dany..." Missy placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "are you sure you're not just..."

"Just what?"

"Worried. About Jon," she said kindly, "and missing him, no doubt. I know the last few days have been difficult for you, are you sure you're not just projecting your worries on this dream? Seeing omens where there are none?"

Dany sighed, she knew they would think that. Hells, she thought it herself when she woke up. But she couldn't shake the feeling, the foreboding sensation growing steadily inside. She couldn't explain it, she just knew. She _knew_.

"I know it's hard to understand," she muttered, raising her eye to stare determinedly at her friends, "but I know what I felt, I know what I saw. Trust me on this, please."

They were silent for a few moments, contemplating.

"So what do you think it means?" asked Loras, breaking the silence.

"I think... I think the Shadowalkers are about to break in here," she said, starting to pace around nervously, "to try to get to the Heart of Winter while Jon is away, it would be the perfect opportunity."

"And what do you want to do about it?"

Dany already had her answer ready, "We have to speak to the headmaster."

"But, Dany..." said Marg, "we're not supposed to know about The Heart of Winter, how are we going to explain this?"

"Look, it doesn't matter," she said, annoyed, "we'll confess we've been eavesdropping, I don't care. If Shadowalkers are about to break in here, we could all be in danger... not to mention, if they get to The Heart of Winter-"

"- they can use it to restore the Night King," finished Missy, shuddering slightly.

"Yes..."

"Ok, when? are we going to talk to him?"

"Well, we have class now-"

"Loras, this is more important than class-"

"But you said you saw it happening at night, right? So we have time-"

"We shouldn't wait, it could be too late-"

"Alright fine... let's go then."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


The four of them left the corridor and made their way to the headmaster's office. After knocking for several minutes, they realized he was not there. 

Dany heard footsteps around the corner and raised her head hopefully. But it was only Professor Lannister. He rounded the corner, holding a stack of books in his arms. He frowned when he saw that at the headmaster's door.

"What are you four doing here?" he inquired, "shouldn't you be in class?"

"We need to speak to the headmaster," said Dany quickly, stepping forward, "it's urgent."

Tyrion raised an eyebrow, "I'm afraid the headmaster isn't here," he said, "he was called to the ministry for an urgent discussion, he will not be back until tomorrow." he scanned their disappointed faces, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Dany hesitated, biting her lip, they had to tell _someone_. And Tyrion was friends with Jon, maybe he would understand... She made up her mind. She nodded silently.

"Follow me," he said, leading them towards his office. He opened the door and ushered them inside, placing the stack of books on his desk. He sat down, inviting them to do the same with a quick gesture. Once they were all seated he raised an eyebrow again, fixing his gaze on Dany, "I'm listening."

"Professor, I- I had a drea- well, not a dream, a vision," Dany said hesitantly, "it's about... about The Heart of Winter."

"How-" Tyrion looked astonished, sitting up straight in his chair, "how do you even know about that?"

"We overheard," Marg said helpfully, "the discussion in the staff room, we passed by and we heard the discussion about it."

"And then we found the legend of the Heart of Winter in a Valyrian fairytale book and put the pieces together," added Missy.

Tyrion scanned their faces, still looking stunned, "skipping over the fact that you were obviously wandering around after-hours like you were specifically told NOT to do," he said with a frown, "I don't know what it is you think you know, but-"

"Professor, my vision," said Dany hastily, wanting to keep the discussion from going off track, "I think the Shadowalkers are about to break in here, while Professor Snow is away. They will try to break through the Permafrost-"

Tyrion sputtered, his jaw dropping, " _How_ did you-"

"I know it's hard to believe, but I know it's true, I saw it," she insisted.

He sat there in silence for a moment, observing her closely.

"Have you any Seer blood in your family?" he asked finally, "House Targaryen is famous for other ventures, dragonriding mostly, but I've never heard of a Targaryen Seer," he said.

Dany bit her lip, feeling dread forming in her stomach, "No, Professor, not that I know of."

"And this is the only vision you've ever had?"

"I- well, yeah- it's the only one," Dany swallowed, knowing she could not disclose details of the other one to him.

He continued regarding her silently, expression unreadable.

"Professor, we know that Professor Snow is the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and that he went back to Castle Black," Dany ploughed on recklessly, she was all-in now, "this would be the perfect opportunity to try to take it, while he's away."

Tyrion shook his head and rose to his feet, looking flustered.

"Could you three give us a minute, please?" he asked, addressing Missy, Marg and Loras, "I would like to discuss it with Miss Targaryen alone."

The three of them rose hastily, filing out of the room, Missy squeezing Dany's shoulder in reassurance on the way out. The door closed with a gentle click.

"Miss Targaryen," Tyrion started, face serious, "while Professor Snow is under the impression I was too drunk on New Year's Eve to remember anything-"

Dany flushed. She remembered that night very well. _Clutching Jon's lapels and drawing him flush against her, kissing him in a roomful of her classmates and full view of one of his colleagues..._

"- but I can hold my liquor better than most people realize. And Professor Snow never disclosed the names of the students who messed about with the Permafrost, but you were obviously one of them... which makes me think there's something going on with you two."

Dany's heart was racing, the dread in her stomach magnifying at Tyrion's words.

"Now, I don't know what's going on, nor do I care for the details," he said resolutely, "but rest assured, despite Lord Commander Snow being away, the Heart of Winter is safe. It is well-protected by ancient and powerful spells, it will not be so easy to get. And we would know if anyone were to try and break into the castle."

Professor Lannister got up from his seat and gestured her to the door, opening it and ushering her outside, "I trust you not to spread rumours among the other students," he said pointedly, fixing his gaze on Dany and her friends, who were waiting for her by the door, anxious expressions on their faces, "we don't want panic to spread. Kindly put this out of your minds... and stay out of it," he ordered, "we have experienced wizards handling this, do not put yourselves in unnecessary danger."

He surveyed their unhappy faces, and Dany's mutinous expression, his frown deepening, "Miss Targaryen, you are not to interfere, do you understand?" he asked tersely.

Dany nodded mutely.

"I need you to give me your word," he insisted.

"Yes, Professor," she said with a sigh, "I promise."

He nodded briefly, and Dany understood they were being dismissed. Missy tugged on her arm and they slowly slunk away.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


All four of them decided to forgo their first class of the day. It was halfway over anyhow. They went back to the Gryffindor common room, which was sparsely populated at this hour of the morning. The two students that were sitting by the hearth just left as they arrived, chattering happily, heading to the library.

They all sat down by the fire silently, Dany chewing her bottom lip in frustration.

"So now what?" asked Loras, breaking Dany out of her musings.

She shook her head tiredly, "I don't know." She wanted to speak to the headmaster, but he wouldn't be back until the next day. What if something happened tonight? It might be too late by then.

"We have to do something," she said finally.

Her friends stared.

"Like what?" asked Loras.

"Like, we need to make sure that the Heart of Winter is protected. Tonight. At least until the headmaster is back and hopefully, we can convince him to take us seriously," said Dany in a determined voice.

"But Dany, that's _insane_ ," said Marg, "we're just students, we can't go facing off against Shadowalkers-"

"Then what?" snapped Dany, jumping out of her chair in frustration, "we just let them grab the Heart of Winter from right under our noses? Bring back the Night King?" She crossed her arms over her chest, "You've read the history books, you know what happened last time."

Last time, the Night King had killed thousands, turning them into undead soldiers in the army of the night. So many had perished before Aegon the Conqueror amassed all available armies and succeeded in ending The Long Night.

"You promised Professor Lannister we wouldn't interfere-"

"Oh, please," Dany rolled her eyes in exasperation, "making a pinky-promise to Professor Lannister is not going to keep me from doing what needs to be done..."

"And besides," she said, sending a quelling look at Missy, who was about to protest, "we are not helpless. Jon had been teaching us to fight, to protect ourselves and others. What was the point of it all if we just stand by and let the Night King rise again?"

"Dany-" Loras tried to intervene.

"Look, I can't just stay here doing nothing," said Dany stubbornly, "not when everyone could be in danger. If you won't come with me, I'll go alone."

"Of course we'll come with you, Dany," said Loras firmly, rising from his seat.

Dany blinked at him in surprise, "You will?"

"Of course we will," smiled Marg, "we're family."

Dany stared at them all, heart bubbling with warmth. Missy also smiled at her gently from her seat.

"No way we'll let you have all the glory," she winked at her.

Dany could feel her eyes almost well up again with affection for her friends. Her emotions were so fucking close to the surface nowadays.

"Ok, then," she said, "tonight. I know where it is, I can find the place again."

"Alright then," Marg smiled, "Let's make Professor Snow proud."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


The snowy planes felt endless, each part of the scenery a carbon-copy of another. Snowy hills, frozen ground, frost all around them.

Jon had always felt his skin crawl when he was in the Anti-magic zone. An eerie sensation that signalled something was clearly _wrong_ here. The absence of magic. Well, not absence exactly. There was still magic in the icy planes. It was just... off.  
Temperamental, unexpected, sometimes violent. Dangerous. Some spells were magnified tenfold. Some did the complete opposite of what they were supposed to. People had died before, using magic there. So he knew to be extra cautious.

A group of dissidents had once vowed to reject magic and settle in those frozen wastes, but quickly abandoned the project after discovering that technology was affected in much the same volatile, perilous way.

The Anti-magic zone was one of the main focuses of the Night's Watch. They attempted to study it, investigate it. Maybe someday they would find the reason it was like that, maybe a way to reverse or at least diminish the effects. _Someday_. But they were on a much more urgent mission now.

To his left, Edd pulled out a map, frowning at it slightly. Unfortunately, compasses also did not work in the Anti-magic zone. They tended to go haywire. So they had to navigate in the old-fashioned way, magic-free. By using maps and celestial bodies to guide them.

"Ok, I think we covered most of the east quadrant by now," said Edd, running his finger across the map, "where to now, LC?"

Jon glanced at the map. They had so much more ground to cover.

"Let's head further North." He didn't know why... he just had a feeling.

And so, they continued trudging through the heavy snow, looking for anything that stood out, anything at all related to the Night King.

After two more hours of walking, Jon suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, staring straight ahead. A huge shadow loomed before them. It was a mountain, shaped like an arrowhead. _Just like in Bran's vision._ Heart hammering, he raised his arm, signalling the rest of the party to stop.

Edd squinted ahead, "Is that it?"

"Aye, it's the mountain Bran saw in his vision," said Jon, eyes fixed on it, "I'm sure of it. This is where we need to go." The feeling of trepidation growing in his stomach convinced him they were getting closer to their goal. He gave a short command, ordering some of the party members to spread around, and keep their eyes out for anything suspicious. They moved forward cautiously, approaching the mountain.

As they grew closer, Jon could feel the temperature drop even further. The cold was chilling and bone-deep. Unnatural.

They came closer and closer to the mountain. At the foot of it, nestled between walls of solid ice, was a path, leading into the very heart of the mountain. Jon could feel his trepidation grow. He could sense it, a tightening in his gut. There was something there... something bad.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Darkness fell over the castle. All was dark and quiet. The new security measures meant that all students were safely inside their common rooms.

Marg had overheard Professor Lannister mention that the night patrols had been halted in order to let the staff get some proper rest. They presumably assumed that the danger was somewhat diminished for the time being, now that the vision had led Jon beyond the wall.

This gave Dany and her friends the perfect opportunity to sneak out of the Gryffindor common room after everyone else had gone to sleep.

They pulled on their cloaks and tiptoed out of the room, taking care to close the door silently. Clutching their wands, they hurried along the darkened corridors, which were only lit by the faint moonlight, peeking in through the windows.

"Are you sure you know where to go, Dany?" whispered Marg, panting as she hurried along.

"Yeah... it was this large room with the funny carvings over the door."

After a few more twists and turns, Dany stopped in front of a large wooden door.

"This is it, you guys," she whispered, pulling out her wand, her hand shaking slightly. They copied her, all pulling their wands and rolling up their sleeves. Dany glanced back at them. Their faces were pale and nervous but determined.

She briefly squeezed Missy's shoulder and placed her hand on the doorknob, slowly opening the door. The door glided open silently and Dany peered cautiously into the room. They were standing in a sort of alcove, hidden from the rest of the room. They snuck silently inside, peeking around the curve of the wall.

The room seemed empty at first glance, dark and silent. Dany looked around nervously until Loras' hand closed tightly around her wrist. She whipped her head back to look at him questioningly and he gulped, pointing over her shoulder. She craned her neck to look and felt her heartbeat pick up speed.

Two hooded figures were standing at the corner of the room, looking around cautiously. Dany held her breath, feeling Margaery shivering by her side. Seemingly satisfied they were alone, the figures stepped deeper into the room, one of them carrying a large bag.

"When are the others coming?" one of them asked, voice echoing in the otherwise silent room.

"Soon," said the other one shortly, "let's get started."

They set to work, drawing runes and sigils on the ground with their wands. Dany's heart was hammering. She had no idea what they were up to, but she was certain it was nothing good.

"We should call for help," whispered Loras tensely, "now we know for a fact something's going on, let's let the teachers handle it..."

Dany was inclined to agree. They started inching back towards the door they came from, being extremely careful not to make a sound when the doorway suddenly glowed bright orange behind them. They froze on the spot, looking at each other uncertainly. They weren't sure what it could mean. They realized what had happened when they heard the next words from one of the hooded figures.

"Ok, all doors are sealed now except this one," he pointed to a doorway across from them, on the opposite wall, "so the others can get in when they arrive."

"Put a humanoid detection charm on it," ordered the other one, "so that we'll know if anyone tries to cross it without us knowing."

The other one hurried towards the door and set to work.

_Shit shit shit_. That was not good. They were now trapped inside the room. They couldn't leave it without attracting attention, which could have disastrous results.

"Now what?" whispered Marg frantically, "we can't get out of here, we can't call for help, and we're trapped here with two _Shadowalkers_ , what the fuck do we do???"

"Quiet, Marg, they could hear us," Dany hissed back, gently pushing her back deeper into the alcove. She had the same question running through her mind. _Now what?_

"There's nothing to do but wait and see what they're up to," she whispered finally, "and hope someone will realize something is wrong soon." She wasn't extremely hopeful. Professor Lannister had made it clear that, as far as the faculty was concerned, they believed the Heart of Winter to be safe for the time being. And Jon was countless miles away in the Anti-Magic zone doing gods know what...

So they hung back, trying to listen as best they could. The two Shadowalkers seem to be preparing to cast a spell. It reminded Dany a little of their preparations to cast the Apertus charm. There were runes on the ground and a bubbling cauldron in the middle. But there were also a few more items that looked a lot more ominous. Like a flat stone basin filled to the brim with what looked like blood. Or something that looked like a severed hand holding a candle.

Done with preparations, the two Shadowalkers stepped back to survey their handiwork.

"This should do," said one of them, "once we begin, it will break through the Permafrost soon enough."

They had finally removed their hoods and Dany could get a relatively good look at their faces. One had a goatee and small, shrewd eyes. He reminded Dany of a weasel. Sneaky, untrustworthy. The other had a blank stare and cold eyes. Dany suppressed a shiver. His gaze looked... soulless.

Minutes later, a slight noise came from the direction of the main doorway. It suddenly glowed bright red and emitted a thin screeching sound. The two Shadowalkers immediately raised their wands, pointing them at the door. Dany and her friends stared with bated breaths from their hiding place. Two dark hooded-figured stepped through the doorway, wands also drawn. When they saw them, the two Shadowalkers in the room lowered their wands. The newcomers mimicked them, also lowering their hoods.

"You're late," said the Shadowalker with the cold eyes to them in way of a greeting.

"Couldn't be helped, Bolton," drawled one of the newcomers. Without the hood, Dany could see he had a pale, twisted face, with a thin scar splitting his right cheek in two. Something about him unsettled her. It could be just that she knew he was a Shadowalker, but he looked _mean_.

"Now that there's four of us here, let's get started," said the one called Bolton, gesturing towards the sigils on the floor with his black wand, "Baelish, go to the far corner, Marsh, to the left, Whittlestick, right here."

Dany held her breath while the four Shadowalkers took their positions. At Bolton's command, they waved their wands and started chanting, focused expressions over their faces.

"Guys, they're about to break through the Permafrost," she whispered tensely to her friends, "we have to do something."

"Like what?" answered Loras in a whisper, "there are four Shadowalkers here, I don't fancy our chances in a face to face combat with them..."

Dany bit her lip, thinking, "Maybe we can do something without them knowing," she whispered finally after a short contemplation, "maybe we can sabotage it."

"How?" asked Marg with a frown.

"Well... remember how Jon made the bear vanish?"

Missy pondered for a moment, "He made the sigils vanish, but..." she pointed over to the chanting Shadowalkers with her wand, "there's no way we can do that without them noticing."

"Perhaps we don't need to remove them completely," whispered Dany, an idea forming in her mind, "maybe if we just mess them up a bit the spell will fail. These things are sensitive, remember?"

They agreed. They huddled close together, formulating their plan.

A few moments later, Dany and Marg snuck silently deeper into the room. Marg had her wand up, channelling a cloaking spell over the two of them. Missy and Loras stayed behind, their wands up, ready to cover them should they be discovered.

Dany and Marg tip-toed closer to the chanting group. Once they were close enough, Dany laid her hand on Margaery's wrist to still her. She then raised her wand, holding her breath and pointed it at one of the sigils, reciting an incantation in her mind.

The pattern in the sigil changed, only slightly. The arrow at its center swivelled to the right, and the runes at the edges turned to mirror images of themselves.

Dany repeated the spell, pointing her wand at one of the other sigils. Her mission complete, she tapped Marg's wrist again, signalling her to go back. They both walked backwards silently until they were tucked safely in the alcove once again. Dany finally released the breath she was holding, her heart beating so loudly in her chest she was afraid the Shadowalkers would hear it.

"Now what?" asked Missy in a barely audible whisper, touching Dany's shoulder lightly to get her attention.

"Now we wait... and pray to the Gods this worked," whispered Dany, peering anxiously around the corner at the wizards still occupied with the spellcasting.

A long moment later, the Shadowalkers seemed to realize something was wrong. The one called Baelish dropped the hand holding the wand, "It's not working."

The mean-looking one, Marsh, swore loudly, kicking the floor in frustration. Bolton moved around silently, tracing his eyes over the cauldron, the flat stone basin and finally the runes. He bent down to examine one. It was one of those Dany had managed to disfigure.

"This one is wrong," he said, pointing his wand at the arrow, "You fucked it up, Baelish," he said coldly.

"What? I did not," said Baelish indignantly, coming to stare at the rune on the ground, "this is not how I drew it."

"Yeah, right," said Marsh irritably, "it just changed on its own."

Baelish narrowed his eyes at him but said nothing. Instead, he drew his wand and set about correcting the sigil.

Dany and her friends watched from the shadows, brimming with tension. They had yet to discover the change they made to the other sigil.

Once Baelish redrew the sigil the way it was supposed to be, the four gathered back around and started chanting again. It didn't take them long to notice something else was amiss.

Bolton, his face now red with anger, bent to examine each sigil thoroughly until he finally spotted the mistake.

"Fuck, Baelish, did you manage to mess up TWO sigils?" exploded Marsh, "how fucking inept are you?"

"This one was Bolton's," said Baelish angrily, "it's not my fault, and I don't quite appreciate your to-"

"Quiet, the two of you," snapped Bolton, getting to his feet and looking around, his wand drawn, "this is no coincidence. The sigils were sabotaged. On purpose."

"On purpose?" Baelish blinked, surprise, "surely, you don't think one of us-"

"Shut up!" snapped Bolton again. The tip of his wand flared, glowing brightly in the dark, "there's someone else here."

They all quieted at his words, also drawing their wands and looking around.

Dany felt rather than heard Marg give a sharp intake of breath next to hear. She could feel her trembling by her side. Her own heart was thumping frantically. They were seconds away from being discovered. And then they would be facing four fully-fledged wizards. Shadowalkers. 

Despite Dany having faith in their own ability to protect themselves, at least for a while, but she had no illusions about what the outcome of the fight would be. They would have a slim to non-existent chance of coming out victorious in a face-to-face confrontation.

Her hand tightened on her wand. No matter what, if it came down to it, they were not going to just cower in the corner.

They were going to fight.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


"I donnow about this, LC," said Edd's worried voice, "something here doesn't feel right."

Jon bent down to closely examine the object once again. It was a giant block of ice, bluish-white and glistening with shards of frost. And it was cracked open. The indentation left inside indicating that there used to be something there.

There was a strange aura around it. Something he couldn't see but could _feel_. Like a residue. Something used to be here. And it wasn't here anymore. Something... or someone. A wave of dread passed over him.

Jon rose to his feet, about to voice his suspicions to Edd, when an excruciating pain suddenly sliced through his mind. He bent over in agony, clutching his head. He could vaguely hear panicked voices around him, inquiring if he was ok. Edd was clutching his shoulder, shaking him slightly.

"What is it? What's going on?" he heard Edd's voice as if through a fog.

He fell to his knees in the snow, feeling near delirious with the pain. The Direwolf pendant burned against his chest. Then the sudden realization came out of the blue. He couldn't explain how... but he suddenly knew what the pain meant. 

_Dany_. She was in danger. And he inexplicably knew why. It was _him_. The Night King was awake and she was in danger. From him or his followers, he didn't know. All he knew is that he needed to go back. He shook his head, the pain receding somewhat, although his head was still throbbing. He rose back to his feet, raising his eyes back to look at his lieutenant.

"I need to go back to Castle Black at once," he said.

"What- Why?" Edd stepped back in alarm.

"No time to explain," Jon said, dropping most of his gear on the ground, and walking away, hurrying out of the mountain, "I'll leave instructions for you there. Be there as soon as possible."

With these words, he turned back and within a moment changed smoothly into the Direwolf, running in lightning speed back towards Castle Black. This was innate magic, and it was not affected by the Anti-Magic zone, which meant that this was the fastest mode of transportation available to him.

Hours later, he burst into Castle Black, changing smoothly back from Direwolf to man. He ran inside, ignoring the exclamations of the two guards posted at the entrance.

"Lord Commander," his steward ran over to him, "what's happened? Where are the others?"

"On their way back," he said, already striding away, "I need to get in touch with Headmaster Davos at the Academy at once."

"Lord Commander, there's something you should know," said the steward, hurrying after him, trying to catch up.

"What is it?" asked Jon impatiently, his mind elsewhere.

"The Greenseer is here." Jon stopped dead in his tracks and turned back to frown at the steward, who was now panting slightly.

"Bran is here?"

"Yes, Lord Commander, he's been waiting for you," the young man gestured towards stairs leading to the tower.

Without another word, Jon hurried to climb the stairs, taking them two at a time. He burst into the room on top of the tower to see his brother sitting in his wheelchair, accompanied by his silent caretaker. The young man, just a boy, really, was staring vacantly out the window, unsurprised to see Jon.

"Bran," he said without preamble, already knowing that if his brother was there he surely had news, "do you know of what's happened?"

"I saw it," said his brother, his faraway gaze still fixed at the window, "the vision was a lie... they tricked me. The danger was heading to the Academy all along."

"The Academy-"

"Those who mean harm are there already, they are after the Heart of Winter."

Jon felt coldness gripping him, feeling as though a giant fist was squeezing his heart in a vice-like grip.

"And-" he licked his lips nervously, unsure of how to ask, "There's someone-"

"Daenerys is in danger too," his brother answered, in his usual monotone, "she found out about the danger, she's trying to help."

Jon was drenched by icy fear. _Dany_. He didn't bother asking Bran how he knew. Bran could See many things. He drew in a shuddering breath, "I must contact Davos, to warn them," he muttered, trying to control the panic rising in his chest.

"All ways of communication into the castle are watched," said Bran in his detached voice, "if you attempt to warn them, you will bring about their deaths."

Jon ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "Then what do I do?"

"You must go there. Now. Or all will be lost."

Jon didn't wait, he rushed out of the room, running down the stairs and back to his steward.

"I need transport back to The Academy. Now," he commanded.

"Yes, Lord Commander, right away," said the boy, running away immediately to take care of the arrangements.

Jon paced back and forth, feeling like a caged wolf until the steward came back and informed him that his transport was ready. He instructed the boy to send the others to the Academy as well as soon as they came back from the Anti-Magic zone and hurried out, ducking his head to enter the silent black chopper. 

It rose into the air at once, carrying him away towards the unknown.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First time I end a chapter with a cliffhanger. Sorry? Nah :P  
> Not much more to go now :) Hope you guys are still enjoying it.
> 
> 'til next time!


	17. Night Gathers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> It's been a while since the previous chapter, I know. Never meant to leave it hanging like this (especially with how the previous chapter ended), but tbh all the shit going on in the world right now is kinda getting to me :( It's been really hard to concentrate lately.  
> Buuuuut, I'm soldiering on. And reading/writing fics lets me forget about the bad stuff for a little while, so worry not, I'm still at it.
> 
> And apologies in advance. Sort of a cliffhanger-ish ending this time as well. I meant to conclude the entire final conflict in this chapter but, as usual, things got out of hand and I didn't want to keep you guys waiting even longer.
> 
> Also, no moodboard this time because I got lazy. Oh well.

  


  


Dany clutched her wand tightly, her hand slick with sweat. The four Shadowalkers were now spread around the room, wand-tips alight, thoroughly searching it.

They had to make a plan. And quickly. Something, some way to let them gain the advantage, however temporarily. The Shadowalkers were still relatively far away, searching the opposite end of the room, so Dany took full advantage of the opportunity. She drew further into the alcove, lowering her voice as much as possible, quickly whispering to her friends.

"We have to buy some time," she whispered, as quietly as she could, "we have to somehow try and make our way to that door," she pointed at the only door that was not magically locked. The one that had the humanoid detection charm on it. She knew that as soon as they went through it, the alarm would sound and the Shadowalkers would know they were there. But at least then they could try to escape. They would have a chance, however slim.

"How do we do that?" whispered Missy, face white as ash, hand trembling slightly.

"Well, they're spread apart at the moment," answered Dany, stealing a cautious glance behind her shoulder to make sure the Shadowalkers were still a good distance away, "so chances are, one of them will approach us alone."

"So what?" whispered Marg frantically, "If we hex one, the others are sure to notice."

"That's why we confound him instead," answered Dany, her heartbeat picking up speed when one of the Shadowalkers started making his way slowly towards the alcove they were hiding in, "make him think he already searched this corner."

"And then what?" asked Loras tensely, "how do we get closer to the door? We can't confound all of them, not from this far away."

"I'm working on it," snapped Dany, immediately regretting her harsh tone. She was nervous and jittery, her heart hammering. She knew they were terrified. She was, as well. She squeezed Loras' shoulder reassuringly, then turned around to face the room.

One of the Shadowalkers, the one that had yet to speak, Whittlestick, was the one to approach their corner. They all shrunk back into the shadows, hastily casting Cloak of Shadows on themselves, waiting in tense silence.

Once the man was close enough, the thin beam of light from his wand hitting the wall of the alcove, Dany raised her wand, pointing it straight at him.

" _Confundo_ ," she whispered, giving her wand a flick.

At once, she saw the man's eyes widen momentarily and then become unfocused, disoriented. He shook his head in confusion, frowning as though trying to remember something. Dany held her breath until he shrugged his shoulders, turning to walk past the alcove to check the rest of the room.

Dany released the breath she was holding, momentarily overwhelmed by relief.

A short while later, the Shadowalkers finished their sweep of the room, gathering again in the center of it.

"You were wrong, Bolton," said Marsh tartly, "there's nobody here."

"Somebody damaged the sigils," he returned coldly, "Do you suppose I imagined it?"

"No, you just fucked them up," retorted Marsh.

Bolton's eyes narrowed, something truly unsettling flashing in them for a second. It was only then that Dany made the connection. _Bolton_. Like Ramsay Bolton. Seeing that ominous expression upon Bolton's face made her certain that he and Ramsay were related. Ramsay might even be his son. _I guess that apple fell right by the tree._

"Maybe they already left," suggested Baelish, "maybe they disapparated."

"You can't disapparate past these doors, Baelish," snapped Bolton, "we magically sealed them before we drew the sigils."

The Shadowalkers huddled together for a few minutes, discussing what to do. They were speaking in such low voices that Dany could barely hear what they were saying. She just caught a word here and there like "spellcasting" and "ruse". She was considering sneaking in closer to listen properly when the wizards suddenly broke apart.

"Let's get it done with," said Bolton irritably, "we have much to do tonight."

They went back to their positions, resuming the spellcasting for the third time.

Dany took a deep breath and nodded to her friends. They all hurriedly cast a concealing charm upon themselves, and slowly, cautiously stepped out from the alcove, making their way to the only door in the room that was left unsealed. Dany knew they were risking the Shadowalkers breaking through the Permafrost by the time they managed to make it out of there, but there was nothing else they could do. It was too dangerous for them to stay there any longer. The Shadowalkers were already suspecting there might be someone there.

They tip-toed across the room, holding their breaths. They were inching closer and closer to the door. The room being so large, they were fairly far away, but with some luck, they could get there without attracting attention. And then they were planning to run like mad.

They were still a way away from the door when Dany's gut suddenly twisted. She knew what was about to happen a split-second before it did. _No!_

In a blink of an eye, Marsh suddenly stopped his spellcasting, twisting around, his wand pointed right at them. There was a flash and a bang and the four of them were suddenly blasted off their feet. Dany's head slammed into the hard floor, but she scrambled up to her feet as fast as she could, ignoring the throbbing pain in her temple. She aimed her wand blindly in the direction of the Shadowalkers. Stone spikes rose rapidly from the ground towards them. She heard their cries of shock and dismay as they threw themselves on the ground and out of the way.

"Run!" she screamed, pulling Missy to her feet and pushing her towards the door. They ran, making a mad dash towards the door.

She could hear the footsteps of the Shadowalkers behind them, hot on their heels. When the noises became too close, she pointed her wand hastily, aiming flaming arrows over her shoulder.

There were a bang and a muffled curse behind her, the swish of a wand as they cast some kind of a protective spell to repel the arrows.

They were getting closer and closer when Dany felt that dreaded tugging sensation in her gut again. She could sense the curse before it hit. Her legs suddenly lost purchase as the ground became slippery under their feet. She slipped and fell, her wand flying out of her hand. She groaned, scrambling to get back to her feet, searching around blindly for her wand. But she knew it was hopeless.

They were seconds away from being captured and then all will be lost...

Suddenly, an explosion of bright light all but erupted around them, engulfing them in dense white smoke. There were muffled screams and then silence. Dany, who was still on the floor, groping for her wand, raised her head, confused, blinking through the dense smoke. She groped blindly for her friends. She found Missy right beside her and clutched her hand, helping her to her feet.

Marg and Loras were also getting up from the floor, looking around in confusion. The four Shadowalkers were lying motionless on the floor. A figure then came hastily through the dense smoke, its wand drawn.

Dany froze in place, not daring to believe... When the smoke cleared and she could finally see clearly, she felt a rush of emotion so strong that it almost brought her to her knees. Because it was _Jon_. Jon was here.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


His face was white and pinched with worry, his wand pointed straight ahead. His hand dropped in relief when he saw her.

"Dany," he said hoarsely. Without hesitating, she rushed into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Her heart was beating so hard she thought it would burst right out of her chest.

"What are you doing here?" she murmured, her voice trembling, "I thought you were beyond The Wall."

"I was," he let out a shuddering breath, his arms so tight around her she could barely breathe, "I don't know how or why, but... I sensed that you were in danger. So I came back."

She drew away from him slightly to look into his eyes, to touch his cheek with a trembling hand, feeling her eyes mist over, "You came back... for me?"

"Dany," he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers, his hand coming to rest upon hers, "I'd do anything for you."

Dany felt her heart swell, filling with warmth and joy and love. So much love. She opened her mouth to finally tell him...

And then she heard someone clear their throat loudly behind them.

"Guys, it's really adorable and all but, shouldn't we get the hell out of here?" asked Marg matter-of-factly, casting a nervous glance towards the Shadowalkers, who still appeared to be out cold.

Jon, rather reluctantly, Dany was pleased to note, tore himself away from her, beckoning the rest of them forward. They started running in the opposite direction of the large room.

"They sealed most of the doors here," Jon explained, leading them through twisting corridors, "it would take too long to unseal them, we need to get back out of the castle and find another way in. So we can raise the alarm."

"How did you get through the door without triggering the alarm?" enquired Dany, panting slightly as she jogged by his side.

"The spell is meant for humanoids," he quirked a small smile, "I transformed."

 _My sweet, clever, wonderful Direwolf._ Dany bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions from bubbling over. He led them through another dark corridor, the passageways twisting and turning in the dark.

"We're almost there," he said, "just around the corner here..."

And then, in a space of an instant, everything went wrong. Very wrong.

The door in front of them, the one they meant to go through, suddenly slammed open. Five hooded figures were standing there, outlined by the pale light of the moon that filtered through the open doorway. In unison, they all raised their wands. Dany's vision blurred, everything turned hazy, murky gray and then black.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany blinked, slowing coming to. She saw she was still lying on the floor, next to the door they were about to go through. She realized she had only been knocked out for a minute or so. She could open her eyes and look around, and she could breathe and speak, but otherwise, she couldn't move a muscle. They must have put a petrification curse on them. She cast her eyes around, anxious to catch sight of Jon and her friends.

She saw Marg and Loras from the corner of her eye, seemingly still unconscious. Missy was right next to her and she could hear her quick breaths, indicating that she was also awake. Jon was on the floor right in front of her, eyes open. There were no less than five Shadowalkers standing over him, their wands pointed at his chest. Dany felt bile rising in her throat at the sight.

The other four Shadowalkers, the ones who attempted to break through the Permafrost, were also standing there, staring at them shrewdly.

She pressed her lips together defiantly, refusing to show fear. Her arm was pressed to Missy's and she could feel her trembling slightly.

Marsh bent down to examine them, shining his wand light in Dany's face. She blinked, her nose twitching in disgust but said nothing.

"They're students," said Marsh, sounding oddly disappointed, "and here I thought we'd be facing a challenge..." 

He smirked, leering at Dany, "What are you doing here, girly?" he taunted, "don't you know it's dangerous to sneak around after dark?"

"For students, they're well versed in battle-magic," came Bolton's cold voice from behind him, "looks like Snow's been busy."

Dany felt a momentary surge of pride despite their dire situation. Jon had taught them well.

"And lookie who we have here..." Marsh sounded delighted, fixing a demented look on Jon, "The Lord Commander himself. Off to save the day."

He glanced towards Bolton, "So what are we to do with them?" His eyes settled back on Jon, who had a stony expression on his face, completely devoid of emotion.

"We keep them out of the way for now," Bolton tonelessly, "bring them back to the room, we need to finish the spell."

And so, they were all forced to their feet, the petrification spell on them removed. They were each closely guarded by a Shadowalker. Jon had five wands pointed at him. They seemed to know he was especially dangerous. 

They were marched back into the large room. Once back inside, two of the Shadowalkers had conjured a large shiny cage out of thin air. It somewhat resembled the magical cage conjured by the headmaster the day they had the combat magic demonstration. Only this time it wasn't for their protection, it was to be their prison.

They were ushered into the cage.

Marsh's cold voice stopped them in their tracks for a moment. "Not him," he snapped, pointing his wand at Jon, "don't you remember what happened last time? Tie him up."

Dany and her friends were then unceremoniously pushed into the cage, the opening from which they entered vanishing and replacing itself with more shiny bars. Dany remained standing, her eyes trained on Jon.

Jon was roughly pushed to the wall. Two Shadowalkers raised their wands, pointing them at him. He was instantly bound to the wall with what looked like shiny thin ropes. They wrapped themselves around his wrists and ankles, binding him tightly to the wall. Once he was secure, Marsh stepped forward, waving his wand. A shiny red collar made from what seemed to be glowing beams of light materialized around his throat.

"Now he can't transform," said Marsh, sounding absurdly satisfied. Jon said nothing through the entire thing. His eyes were blank and expressionless as if he was vaguely bored by the happenings.

Missy pulled gently on Dany's arm. The four friends sat on the cold hard floor, staring gloomily at the Shadowalkers who resumed their positions from before and finally finished casting the spell. The rest of them just stood aside silently. When the casting was done, thick smoke started pouring out of the cauldron, its color jet-black and ominous-looking.

Bolton approached the cauldron with his wand held aloft. He made a swirling motion in the air, causing the contents of the cauldron to hiss and bubble. Once it quieted down again, he plunged his hand inside, and when he pulled it out it was clutched around a snow-white key.

Dany could see Baelish and Marsh staring at the key hungrily, as though it held the solution to all their problems. Bolton merely looked bored. It felt like nothing could bring life to his cold dead eyes.

"This is it," he announced. He marched straight to the wall just to his left and drew his wand up again. He swiftly drew a complicated pattern on the wall. The mark glowed dark red for a moment and then faded away. A door appeared on what was previously an empty stretch of wall.

Bolton fitted the key into the lock and turned it, all eyes in the room watching him intently. But the door wouldn't open. He frowned, pulling the key out and trying again. After a third try, he swore angrily, the hand clutching the key shaking with barely-suppressed rage.

"What's going on?" demanded Marsh angrily, "did the spell not work?"

"Oh, it worked alright," said Bolton sourly, "there's an additional barrier here. Snow cast some kind of a spell on it in addition to the Permafrost."

Dany bit her lip, trying to suppress a triumphant smile. Jon. She had never met anyone so brilliant. The thought just made her love him even more.

"Well, can we break through it or what?" Marsh's annoyed voice broke through her thoughts, "you were supposed to prepare everything, Bolton."

Bolton cast him a withering look, "We can break through it, alright, it just might take some time." He went back to examining the door, pressing his palm to it, muttering incantations under his breath. Marsh went to stand next to him, closely observing him work.

Whittlestick just sat down by one of the sigils, staring vacantly. Dany briefly wondered if he was all _there_. But then again, there must be something seriously wrong with him if he chose to be a Shadowalker. She tried to keep her gaze away from Jon. She didn't want the Shadowalkers to get an inkling of how they felt about each other. She didn't want it to be used against them.

She felt the back of her neck prickle and cast a look around. Baelish, who was leaning against a wall nearby, was staring at her shrewdly. She raised her eyebrow at him, "Can I help you with something?" she asked icily.

Baelish chuckled as though she said something funny, "Perhaps," he said idly, "I just wonder how a student such as yourself ended up here," his lip curled in mild amusement, "I would assume that if the faculty had known about what is happening here, they would send someone else."

"Maybe there's more to me than meets the eye," she retorted.

"I don't doubt it," he said, smiling his enigmatic smile at her.

She pressed her lips together. From some reason, talking to the man made her feel strange. As if his questions had a hidden meaning of some kind. So she decided to ask some questions of her own.

"So, why are you here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, "you don't seem like a psycho, why a Shadowalker?"

He smiled again, "Only the narrowminded see us that way," he said.

"Oh, really?" she snorted, "enlighten me, then. Why would any sane wizard follow the fucking Night King? Did you sleep through all your history classes at school?"

"Oh, quite the contrary," he said, his smile deepening, "I listened extremely carefully," he moved away from the wall, slowly coming closer to her, "do you not know the true power of the Night King?"

"You mean murdering and enslaving countless people?" she asked contemptuously, "yes, I heard all about it, I can see why you'd want to follow him now," she shook her head in disgust.

"This is the wrong way of looking at it," he said, running an idle finger over one of the shiny bars on the cage, "my dear, the power of the Night King holds the greatest reward one can possibly want, the thing man had been searching for since the dawn of time."

Dany blinked, confused, "And what's that?"

Baelish grasped one the bars with his hand, leaning closer to whisper to her, "Immortality."

"Immor- what?" Marg, who was listening closely from behind Dany, "You actually want to become a White Walker? A mindless zombie doomed to do the Night's King bidding for the rest of your miserable endless life?"

"These are just lies written in the history books to frighten gullible fools," he said, waving his hand dismissively, "White Walkers are not mindless. I would be his lieutenant, his right-hand, I would live for eternity. Wouldn't you want that?" His eyes were glittering with strange fire, looking slightly mad.

"Well, you would still be a zombie, so... pass," said Marg tartly, rolling her eyes.

Dany just surveyed his glittering eyes, "I see now that I was wrong," she said finally. Baelish raised an eyebrow at her. "You are a psycho after all," she said flatly and turned her back to him, hearing his quiet chuckle and retreating footsteps.

From the vicinity of the magical door, Bolton swore angrily, "He used an incorporate bond," he tossed towards Baelish, "this is going to take a while to break."

"We don't have a while," said Marsh angrily, "His Night's Watch buddies will surely be here soon, we need to get to the Heart of Winter before that."

"Well, unless you can get him to tell us how he bound the door, this is going to be a while," snapped Bolton, a vein popping in his forehead.

At his words, the anger drained from Marsh's face, to be replaced by a strange delight.

"Well then," he murmured, turning his gaze towards Jon who was still doing a pretty convincing imitation of a statue, "that I can surely help with."

Dany felt fear coil itself in the pit of her stomach. She didn't know how he intended to make Jon talk, but she had a feeling it won't be good at all.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Marsh walked slowly towards Jon. The expression on his face was oddly hungry. The same sort of expression he had when they broke through the Permafrost. As if he was staring at something he wanted beyond reason. He toyed with his wand as he stared at Jon, running a bony finger over it, almost caressing it.

"You know, Snow," he stared conversationally, "it's been a long time since that night I tried to kill you."

Dany felt her insides turn to ice at his words. He was one of _them_. One of the traitors. The former brothers of the Night's Watch who turned coat and tried to murder Jon. Who inflicted awful scars on his body and mind and almost ended his life. It was Jon's own resourcefulness that saved him that night. Dany felt a wave of loathing and disgust burning inside her, all aimed at the rail-thin man standing before her, his eyes fixed on Jon.

Marsh continued his monologue, paying her no attention, "But ever since that night, in my lonely cell in the hellshole you doomed me into, I've been thinking of that night. Thinking of one day finishing the job," he leered at Jon, a thin smile twisting his lips, "but worry not, I'm not going to kill you," he snickered, "not just yet, anyway, I'm going to make you wish you were dead first... and if you tell me what I want to know, maybe I can be convinced to end your suffering."

And with that, he sharply flicked his wand. Jon's black shirt tore down the middle, its buttons rolling to the floor. His chest was exposed, the scars gleaming darkly on the canvas of his pale skin. Dany, who was clutching the bars of the cage, her eyes glued to Jon, heard Missy gasp next to her.

"Oh Gods," she heard her whisper, "what happened to him?"

Dany just shook her head, not moving her eyes away from Jon and the horror of the scene unfolding in front of her.

"So, I was thinking," Marsh drawled, "how about I remind you of that night, shall I?" And with that, he raised his wand suddenly, making a vicious slashing motion in mid-air.

Dany could barely contain her scream when Jon's body jerked suddenly, a groan escaping his lips. The scar directly over his heart had split open, fresh blood dripping down his chest, red droplets splashing on the floor below.

She was clutching the bars so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She could feel a warm hand grasping her shoulder. Missy's hand gave her a gentle squeeze, offering her silent comfort.

"So how about you let me know what I need to break the Incorporate Bond and I promise, I'll make your death swift," said Marsh, carelessly twirling his wand, "you won't have to suffer anymore."

Jon blinked, his eyes, full of pain but also determination, focused on Marsh in defiant silence.

Marsh's lip curled, "So be it then," he whispered, tightening his grip on his wand.

Bile rose within Dany like a wave when Marsh raised his wand again, making the same slashing motion over and over again. Jon's grunts of pain made her feel as though she was the one being slashed open, as if her heart was torn, her life's blood was flowing out freely. She was biting her lip so hard she tasted blood, trying to stop herself from crying out in anguish and frustration.

All seven scars littering Jon's chest were now open, his blood dripping gently onto the floor to pool at his feet. Dany's eyes were glued to him, her hands shaking, silent tears dripping down her cheeks. She could feel Missy and Marg behind her, their hands gripping her elbows.

"Dany," Marg whispered gently, her voice tinged with concern, "maybe you shouldn't watch."

But Dany just shook her head mutely. She couldn't look away. There was nothing she could do to help, not really. The only thing she could do for him now was to make sure he didn't suffer alone. She would be there with him every step of the way, in whatever small and insignificant manner she could.

Marsh was half-screaming now, clearly displeased with Jon's silence. He was violently swinging his wand, causing more blood to flow out of the open wounds, demanding Jon tell him how to break the spell.

But no words escaped Jon's lips. Despite his torn-apart body and increasingly pale complexion, he was as steady as a rock, refusing to reveal anything. At some point, however, his eyes became unfocused, his head dropping towards his chest. His dark curls fell upon his sweaty forehead, half-obscuring his face.

Dany's heart all but stopped, a small whimper escaped her lips. _Oh Gods... Jon. Please, pleasepleaseplease, no_. She felt Marg's hand clutching her arm in a vise-like grip, "He's alive, Dany," Marg whispered, her grip helping to ground her somewhat, "he's breathing."

Despite the tears in her eyes, Dan could see Marg was right. Jon's chest was moving, slightly but noticeably, as he breathed. He seemed to have passed out from the pain or blood loss. Likely a combination of both. She breathed a small sigh of relief, thankful for small favours. He was badly hurt but he was alive. There was hope still.

Seeing Jon unconscious, Marsh swore angrily and strode away towards Bolton, who was still focused on the door. He was tracing his wand over it, making strange markings glow and fade continuously on the rough surface.

"Thank you, Marsh, that bit of unhinged bullshit was very helpful to our cause," said Bolton drily, not bothering to even spare him a look.

"Fuck off," snapped Marsh, "once he comes to I'll try again," he trained his menacing gaze back towards Jon's limp form, still shackled to the wall, "he will either tell me what I want to know or he'll die," he said darkly.

Dany slumped back down in the cage, feeling suddenly exhausted. Her friends huddled around her, comforting her silently with gentle squeezes of her hands. Missy and Loras then came to sit by the back of the cage, Marg was still clutching Dany's hand.

But Dany could not avert her gaze from Jon, although the sight of him made her near physically ill. His skin was deathly pale and bloodless, his eyes closed, a frown marring his face. And his chest... blood was now trickling slowly down his body, the old scars once again slashed open.

She swallowed with difficulty around the lump in her throat. It was slowly killing her seeing him like this. It looked painful, the way his body was pinned to the wall by the shiny restraints around his arms and ankles. And the red one around his neck, keeping him from transforming. She couldn't even imagine how much pain he was in. It caused an almost physical ache to form in her own chest, caused her heart to constrict painfully.

For a moment, she felt so hopeless. Helpless. She couldn't see a way out of this. They were trapped, defenceless, Jon was likely.... _No._ She couldn't even finish the thought.

She glanced to the side, seeing Baelish staring at her, a curious expression on his face. Bolton and Marsh were still huddled by the door, waving their wands and muttering incantations.

The rest of the Shadowalkers were huddled in a far corner, discussing something amongst each other.

But it was Baelish she worried about at that moment. He was eyeing her keenly. She could almost see the cogs in his mind turning. It had her worried. He then turned around, marching towards Marsh and Bolton. The three huddled together, engaging in an intense discussion.

Dany and her friends all glanced at each other, concerned and frightened.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_Pain... there was so much pain._ His chest was burning, as though the slashes on his chest were infused with poison. Like trails of fire all over his body. It was hard to breathe.

Jon's mind swam as he fought to stay conscious. He couldn't afford to black out now. Because Dany was here and she was in grave danger. They all were. He blinked his eyes slowly, feeling sluggish, almost drunk. His head was throbbing.

The scene in front of him slowly came into focus. Bolton and Marsh were still huddled by the door, attempting to break the spell to unlock it. Most of the others were huddled against the back wall, murmuring amongst themselves. They were foot soldiers, Jon was not particularly worried about them.

He then glanced towards Baelish, who had his gaze fixated on Dany, the look in his eyes cold and calculating. Jon was pained to see she had tears in her eyes. He looked back to Baelish, his insides twisting in trepidation. Something about the expression on the man's face made him even sicker with worry. His apprehension grew when Baelish turned, striding purposefully towards Bolton and Marsh.

He felt it then. Things were about to get worse. Much worse. One way or another, he had to do something.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_Dany_. Dany almost jumped out of her skin, her hand jerking out of Marg's.

Marg gave a sharp intake of breath next to her, "What's wrong?" she whispered in alarm.

"Did you hear that?" Dany whispered back, training her eyes at Jon. He was apparently conscious again, his face contorted in effort.

"Hear what?"

It was Jon's voice. But it was coming from inside her head. Somehow, he was communicating with her. By Magic. Without a wand.

 _Dany, please listen to me, I can't do this for long,_ he whispered in her mind. She clutched the shiny bars of the cage with trembling fingers, staring at him. His body was twitching now, thrashing slightly. From the corner of the room, Marsh raised his head sharply to stare right at him.

He nudged the arm of Baelish, who was standing next to him, "What the fuck is he doing?" he growled.

The rest of them turned around to look at Jon, who was seemingly struggling against his bindings.

 _I can create an opening for you, just for a moment,_ his voice said, _be ready to go. Get help._

Dany swallowed, her chest constricting painfully at the thought of leaving Jon there, but she knew she had to listen to him. She turned to Marg.

"Get ready," she whispered urgently to her, Marg's eyes widening.

"Ready for what?"

"To run. Tell the others," Dany whispered, "Now."

Marg didn't argue. She inched closer to Missy and Loras who were sitting at the far corner, staring at them questioningly. She lowered her head to whisper urgently to them. Dany saw them from the corner of her eye silently get to their feet behind her.

She chanced another glance at Jon, who still had the eyes of all the Shadowalkers on him. They seemed to be at a loss to understand what he was doing. His back arched suddenly, his teeth clenching, grunting with effort. His hand flexed at his side and then Dany saw a flicker from the corner of her eye. The back of the cage they were in flickered and vanished. A door in the back of the room stood ajar.

And somehow, miraculously, her wand, which was previously taken from her when they were captured, was laying on the floor by the open door. Dany swallowed, readying herself as best she could.

_Now!_

"Run," she whispered, turning around and racing towards the open door, her friends a step behind her. It took the confused Shadowalkers a moment to figure out what was happening. By the time they did, Dany had already grabbed her wand and they were running through the door.

Whittlestick was the first to notice, he gave a startled yell, "They're escaping," he screamed, pointing at their retreating backs. The other Shadowalkers turned around, hastily drawing their wands.

Dany ducked while running as their spells flew around her, dashing around a corner at breakneck speed. They burst through the door into a darkened hallway, running as fast as they could. Dany had no idea where they were heading, but she knew she wanted to put as much distance between themselves and the Shadowalkers as possible. She knew it was pointless to try to aim a spell at them, they were too many. Their best chance was to raise the alert before they were caught.

She kept her mind resolutely away from Jon. She couldn't think about him right now... of what they could do to him... she clenched her hands so hard they shook, straining her legs to run as fast as possible. _Get help. I have to get help._

She could hear voices ahead, coming from the great hall. She directed her steps there, dashing madly. She had no idea where her pursuers were, she just ran, heart hammering. She burst into the great hall, her friends hot on her heels. They all skidded breathlessly to a halt at the sight in front of them.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


The great hall was full of people. They were all gathered around Professor Lannister who was standing there in his nightclothes, looking distressed. They could barely draw a breath before there were about fifteen wands trained right at them.

"Stand down!" somebody hastily shouted, "Right now! they're students." The wands lowered slowly and Dany released a breath, looking around. The vast majority of the people around them were in black uniform, just like Jon's. She recognized the emblem. _The Night's Watch_. They were here.

"Miss Targaryen-" Professor Lannister rushed towards her, looking stunned distraught, his face pale, "what are you doing here? What's going on?"

She ignored him, hurriedly turning to the black-clad person next to him, the one who shouted to everyone to lower their wand. He seemed to be the one in charge.

"The Shadowalkers are here," she told them without preamble. Next to her, Professor Lannister made a startled noise, but she paid him no mind, "they have Jon." 

Her voice near broke on the last word. She bit her lip, trying to keep the horror from bubbling up and flooding her entire being.

The man nodded curtly, immediately turning back and barking orders to the rest of them.

In a blink of an eye, they were all gathered around the man in charge, he said his name was Edd, faces grim and wands drawn.

"We must go right away," said Edd, addressing Tyrion and drawing his own wand, "We're running out of time, they could break through the incorporate bond any minute now," he turned to Dany, "can you please explain precisely where they are?"

But Dany had zero intentions to stay away. Not while Jon was still there. She drew her wand, her face set resolutely. "I can take you there," she said.

Edd glanced at Professor Lannister, who immediately opened his mouth to argue, but Dany spoke first, "You said it yourself," she turned to Edd, "we're running out of time. You need me," she added.

"Miss Targaryen, this is hardly a good idea," Tyrion protested, "these men are trained professionals, you are a mere student, and as the deputy headmaster of the school, I must insist-"

"She's right, Lannister," Edd interrupted, "we need her. And if we don't stop them there might not be a school to speak of."

"And I'm of age," Dany reminded him, "legally an adult. You can't keep me here. Expel me if you wish," she said bluntly.

Tyrion's mouth snapped shut. His eyes travelled over Dany's defiant expression. He seemed to understand he wouldn't be able to stop her.

"Be careful, Miss Targaryen," he said simply.

"Dany," Dany turned her head to see her friends rushing towards here, fear on their faces. Wordlessly, she moved closer as they all engulfed her in a fierce hug. Dany felt a lump rising in her throat.

"I'll be fine, guys," she murmured, her heart expanding with love for them, "Jon taught me well."

"Yeah, he did," Marg grinned though her eyes were glassy with tears, "go kick some Shadowalker arse."

Dany nodded, untangling herself from them and hurrying back towards Edd and the rest of the Night's Watch waiting for her.

"Ready?" asked Edd, his face grim.

"Ready," she replied resolutely, leading the way towards the door.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did warn you about the cliffhanger.
> 
> On the upside, I already started working on the next chapter. 700 words and counting... So I'm hoping it won't take as long as this one (no promises, though).
> 
> Wherever you are, I hope you're all safe and healthy. Take care of yourselves and be socially responsible, we're all in this together!
> 
> Also, that awesome picture is not mine. Found it courtesy of google image search, so whoever made it, kudos to you!


	18. Winter's End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally herrrrre!
> 
> I'm actually so excited about this one!!!  
> Unlike the previous chapter which felt like pulling teeth to write, this one pretty much flowed from my mind straight to the keyboard. So I really hope it turned well.
> 
> Ok, we are picking up right where we left off last time. I left you with a cliffhanger then, so I'll let you dive right into it.
> 
> Warning: tooth-rotting fluff ahead, read at your own risk.
> 
> Enjoy!

  


They walked cautiously along the dark corridors, wands drawn and ears straining to catch every sound. Dany walked right next to Edd, filling him in about everything she saw in the room. The number of Shadowalkers, the bindings they placed on Jon, the Permafrost-breaking spell and the charms on the doors.

Edd nodded briefly, his mouth set in a grim line, forehead creased.

Two of the members of the Night's Watch walked ahead of them, continuously waving their wands in intricate patterns.

"What are they doing?" Dany whispered to Edd, who was leading the rest of them, right by her side.

"Attempting to detect hidden traps and snares," he answered, "You can be sure the Shadowalkers left some here."

After a few more meters, one of the scouts ahead raised his wand in warning. Edd raised his wand as well and everybody stopped.

"What is it?" he called to the scout.

"Serpent Snare," answered the scout, "blocking the entire corridor."

Edd swore loudly in frustration.

"Can't we break it?" asked Dany. She had never heard of such snare before.

Edd shook his head grimly, "It will take too long," he said, "I'm afraid we don't have that kind of time."

"Then now what?" she asked, fingering her wand nervously. Jon didn't have a lot of time, she was sure of it. They had to get to him, fast, "What are we going to do if we can't pass through it nor have the time to break it?"

Edd smiled faintly, "We are the Night's Watch. We've dealt with worse," he waved his hand to one of the members standing silently behind him, "Hightower, come here."

A bearded man with sand-coloured hurried to their side. Edd pointed straight ahead, "The way ahead is blocked by a serpent snare. Can you get us around it?"

The man nodded, immediately raising his wand. He waved it a wide arc, then started drawing something in mid-air. His movements were swift, precise, practiced. He had obviously done this before, Dany thought.

Edd whispered to her while the man worked, "He's our best Wayfinder, he can find paths where there are none."

Dany wasn't sure what exactly that meant and opened her mouth to ask, but at that moment, the shape that the man was tracing through the air seemed to have been completed. It resembled a giant compass with intricate patterns traced all over it. 

Hightower flicked his wand at it and the needle of the compass started spinning quickly, erratically moving from side to side until it came to a stop. It was pointing towards the solid wall to their right. Dany quirked an eyebrow, confused, not knowing whether the spell worked or not. A moment later, her unasked question was answered. Hightower turned towards the wall and pointed his wand at it. A door appeared there.

"Oh," she said in wonder, staring at the door. 

Edd smiled next to her, "We're pretty good at what we do," he said mildly, "now let's move."

Everybody filed through the newly created door, which brought them down a twisted corridor, the likes of which Dany had never seen in the Academy before. Edd explained that the corridor was not really there. That it was a part of a different dimension created by the wayfinding spell, and that it would vanish at some point. Dany briefly wondered what would happen to anyone who was still in the corridor when it disappeared.

They eventually arrived at another door, which led them back to the original corridor they were in, right past the Serpent Snare.

They were getting closer to the room now, and her heart was picking up speed.

"This is it," she whispered to Edd, "just behind this door."

He nodded grimly, signalling to the rest of the group behind him. They all stood at the ready, some of them already waving their wands and muttering incantations. Dany thought she recognized some resemblance to the shield spells they had learned this year, although these seemed to be more advanced and complex versions of them. The magic crackled around her, the very air becoming suffused with it.

Edd turned to her, "You better stay back."

Dany returned his gaze with a grim and resolute stare, "I'm not sitting this one out," she said decisively, "you wouldn't even know of this if it weren't for me."

Edd sighed, realizing that he couldn't keep her away.

"I'd hex you but I'm not sure you would be safer that way," he muttered, "just- just stay behind one of the shields, please?"

Dany nodded, moving to stand behind one of the massive shields conjured by one of the members of The Watch.

Edd made a gesture with his wand. Everybody was standing silently, holding their breaths. The tension in the air was palpable. He then swung his wand down in a sudden movement and the door had burst open. The Night's Watch members swarmed inside, wands and shields at the ready.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany tried to take in the scene before her through the shield in front of her, which had a slight distorting effect on the light passing through it.

There were more Shadowalkers. Way more than before, when she made her escape from the room. About twenty more seemed to have arrived. They were all holding their wands at the ready, once again wearing their hoods. 

For a fleeting moment, everything seemed suspended in time, the scene froze before her. The Night's Watch vs. Shadowalkers. The Sword in the Darkness taking on The thing that goes bump in the night. Darkness and light, life and death.

Then everything broke into chaos.

Dany moved cautiously behind the large shield while spells flew all around her. There were screams, curses and flashes of light flying all over the room in absolute pandemonium. She tried to locate Jon but it was impossible, not with the shield in front of her, blocking her view and hindering her ability to cast spells.

She then took a deep breath, sending a silent apology to Edd and moved from behind the shield, her wand drawn. She ran, as fast as she could, towards the wall where she last saw Jon. Her way was obstructed quite a few times. On several occasions, she had to dodge a stray spell that almost hit her.

She ducked quickly when a spell zoomed straight towards her. She could feel the disturbance in the air above her head where it missed her by mere inches. She straightened then, aiming her wand towards the hooded figure that was pointing its wand at her.

A moment later, stone spikes erupted from the ground, heading straight towards him. He screamed when the spikes hit, knocking him down from his feet. Dany took advantage of his moment of distraction to keep moving. She raised her wand while she moved, hastily casting a shield around herself. She ducked behind a group of four people fighting furiously. She flicked her wand hurriedly towards one hooded figure and the man yelped when his arms snapped towards his torso. The Night's Watchman fighting him quickly flicked his own wand and the man dropped to the ground, stupefied.

Dany didn't stop, finally making her way to the wall. She nearly melted in relief when she saw Jon was still there, right where she left him. Her relief changed to panic when she saw his head was slumped, his chin touching his chest. The scars still glowed an angry red upon his ghostly pale skin, which looked even paler than before. The blood, thankfully, had dried by now, forming dark red streaks across his body. She ran over to him, forgetting about everything and everyone else for a moment.

_Please be ok, Jon, please,_ she thought desperately, raising a trembling hand to touch his face. The tension in her chest eased slightly when she felt the warmth of his skin under her fingers. His face contorted slightly under her touch but he didn't wake, still in some kind of a fugue state.

"Jon," she whispered, cupping his cheek gently, "Jon, it's me, I'm here," she moved closer, both hands cupping his face now, trying to coax him awake.

His brows furrowed as if in pain and his eyes finally blinked open. He looked around drowsily for a moment, confused, but then his eyes settled on her and widened immediately.

"Dany?" he whispered, his gaze instantly becoming alert and alarmed, darting around the room quickly, taking in the scene. He shook his head slightly as if trying to clear his mind, "You shouldn't be here."

A small explosion sounded from somewhere in the room and Dany flinched, instinctively flattening her body against Jon's, brought back to the reality around them. She leaned close to him, poking her wand at the shiny restraints around his wrists.

"Jon, the ties," Dany murmured urgently, glancing around to make sure they weren't about to be attacked, "how do I break them?"

"You don't," he answered, glancing down at the bonds around his wrists and ankles, "not on your own. This requires collaborative magic, you need someone to help you, but... Dany," he brought his eyes back to hers. She knew what he was about to say before he said it.

"I'm not leaving you," she said firmly, "and I'm going to get you out of these bonds," she raised her finger warningly when his mouth opened again, "and so help me, if you try to argue with me on this I'm going to hex your mouth shut."

She gave his arm a quick squeeze and turned to look around. She spotted Edd not far from her, busy conjuring something that looked like a giant shiny circle, emitting sparks all around it. She rushed over to him.

She tapped on his shoulder, "We need to release Jon," she shouted to him over the din in the room, "Can you help?"

Edd raised his head quickly, glancing at his Lord Commander bound to the wall. He gritted his teeth, looking around.

He then nodded quickly, his mind made up, "Let's go."

They both ran over back to Jon.

"Hey there, LC," Edd smiled at him, "Need a hand?"

"Just hurry, please, we can't dawdle."

The two men engaged in a quick discussion on what to do. They quickly decided to break just the restraint around Jon's neck, the one keeping him from transforming. The rest he would be able to do on his own.

"I need one more for this spell," Edd said, frowning, casting his eyes around, looking for another Night's Watchman.

Jon shook his head, "She can do it," he nodded at Dany, the look in his eyes blazing, burning a path straight into her soul, "she's one of the most talented witches I've ever met."

Dany's heart nearly burst in her chest. Her eyes locked together with Jon's, a rush of emotion so intense coursing through her that it was almost physically painful.

Edd turned to Dany, "Ok, listen closely." He quickly outlined the mechanics of the spell to her. Once he finished, Dany pushed up her sleeves, raising her wand.

They nodded to each other, starting to wave their wands in unison in an intricate pattern. The first attempt failed, Dany heart hammering with nerves.

"You almost had it," murmured Jon, his eyes focused on her wandwork, "widen your movement a bit, longer lines."

Dany nodded, biting her lip, feeling sweat trickle down her back. To her relief, the second attempt succeeded. The red band that circled Jon's neck flickered and vanished. Dany could see a faint red mark around his neck from where it had pressed into his skin. A blink of an eye later, Jon had transformed into the great white Direwolf, freeing himself from the rest of the bonds. He dropped to the floor gracefully, transforming back into a man a split-second later. He rubbed absently at his wrists, which also had angry red marks on them, to complement the dark red marks across his chest.

He got up to his feet, stumbling a little.

"Easy there," said Edd, reaching into his pocket and producing a small vial with dark crimson liquid in it. Dany identified it as a Blood-replenishing potion. He passed it to Jon, who uncorked it at once and downed its contents, giving Edd a nod of thanks. A moment later he straightened, looking much steadier on his feet.

Dany breathed a sigh of relief. He looked tired and deathly pale, but otherwise ok. The sight of the marks all over his body made her clench her fists in anger and murderous thoughts to swirl through her mind.

Edd raised his wand again, hastily conjuring a simple dark shirt, "Here you go, LC, can't have you distracting everyone with your rugged good looks," he grinned.

Jon rolled his eyes, taking the shirt and slipping it on. 

"Your wand?" inquired Edd.

"Marsh has it."

Dany's expression darkened, rage flooding through her. _Marsh_.

"Don't worry about it, go help the others," Jon said to Edd. Edd gave a short nod and sprung away, jumping straight back into the thick of the battle.

Dany glanced at Jon, who was surveying the scene in front of him, his eyes wide and alert.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

"We help," he said grimly, "but I can't do much without my wand, not for long, anyway."

"Would you like-" she tentatively asked, stretching her hand to him, offering him her own wand.

But he shook his head immediately, "It would leave you near defenceless." His eyes roved around the room, narrowing when they zeroed in on a figure standing in the corner of the room, waving its wand furiously.

Dany followed his gaze to feel a wave of anger rise within her. It was Marsh. She swallowed her rage, trying to stay calm and focused.

"He has your wand."

"Yes. And I'm going to get it back." When he turned his eyes to her, there was already a hint of red in them, "help me?"

"Of course," she whispered. As if she wouldn't do just about anything in the world for him. Her heart swelled with pride at the fact that he was trusting her to help him. She was no helpless child. She was a strong and powerful witch, and thanks to him, quite adept in combat magic.

He nodded, and she noticed his teeth lengthening when he said, "Stay close to me, shield yourself." A moment later, he transformed into the Direwolf, hackles raised and teeth bared.

He sprinted into the fray, with Dany close behind him. They darted between the fighters, dodging stray spells and occasionally helping a Night's Watchman in a bind. They were edging closer to Marsh, who had a furious look upon his face, spells bursting continuously from the tip of his wand.

By her side, the Direwolf growled, a deep ominous sound. Marsh raised his head at the sound, his eyes coming to rest on Jon. His expression turned ugly, almost vengeful. He screamed in rage, raising his wand, as quick as lightning, aiming it straight at Jon. The Direwolf darted sideways, quick on its paws, dodging the spell that passed a hair-breadth away from his flank. He made his way closer and closer to Marsh, expertly dodging the spells that darted all around him.

At some point, Marsh, his face white with fury, turned his gaze to glance at Dany who was standing slightly back, repeatedly casting deflecting spells and shields. Dany felt dread pull at her stomach when Marsh suddenly waved his wand in a figure-eight pattern, turning and vanishing on the spot, materializing right behind her. She had no time to even turn around when she experienced a sudden choking sensation. She gasped for breath, her wand dropping from her fingers.

The Direwolf froze in its spot, red eyes focused unblinkingly on Marsh.

"Go on," jeered Marsh, an ugly triumphant grin on his face, "make a move, Snow, I'll snap her neck like a twig."

The Direwolf growled, baring its teeth.

Dany struggled weakly, her vision becoming tinged with black spots. She turned her head, locking her eyes with the Direwolf's red ones.

It happened in a space of an instant.

Before her eyes, the Direwolf transformed back into a man. Jon raised his hand, palm open, eyes closed. Her discarded wand flew from the floor into his hand. In one smooth move, he raised it, aiming it straight at Marsh. There was a sound like a small explosion and a blinding flash of light. A moment later, Marsh was lying on the floor, eyes closed. And Dany could breathe again.

Jon rushed over to her, grasping her chin lightly to look into her eyes.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Jon, I promise," she murmured, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. She gratefully accepted her wand back from him.

He then turned, bending over Marsh, who was still out cold. When he straightened, he was holding his ash-white wand in his hand.

"Let's finish this," he said grimly. He swiftly swung the wand through the air, curling his hand to a fist around it. Longclaw materialized in his hand. But it was not the spectral version Dany had seen in class. It was real. The blade shining, the intricate sigils and patterns on it glowing bright gold. It was truly remarkable to behold.

He jumped into the fray, expertly swinging the weapon. Dany followed him, firing spell after spell.

She stole glances at Jon while doing so. She had never seen anyone fight like this. He moved with incredible grace, skillfully swinging the sword around, the blade leaving mystical streaks of lights in its wake. Aside from its offensive ability, the sword seemed to have the ability to block and deflect certain spells.

She saw Edd passing by, swinging his wand expertly, a shiny shield glowing on his arm. His own ancestral weapon.

"Nice to have you back, LC," he called out to Jon, deflecting a spell with his shield and shooting a bolt of lightning from his own wand, catching a Shadowalker right in the chest.

They were winning, Dany had realized, inspecting the scene in front of her. The Shadowalkers were putting up a furious fight but were slowly losing ground. Most of them were lying unconscious on the floor or magically bound, their wands taken.

She turned to Jon, smiling brightly, but stopped when she saw the look on his face.

He was frowning slightly, "Where are Bolton and Baelish?"

Dany quickly scanned the room. Her gaze travelled across the various hooded figures, most of them defeated or captured. But Jon was right, Bolton and Baelish were nowhere to be seen. A sense of dread coiled in her stomach. This could not be good.

Then she saw a movement in the shadows.

She touched Jon's arm, "Look," she pointed. There was someone there, partially concealed but still visible. Dany's stomach dropped. It was right by the door leading to where the Heart of Winter was hidden.

"No," Jon hurried over there, his wand outstretched, his sword clutched in his hand.

But it was too late.

While everybody else was locked in a fight, the two Shadowalkers had apparently taken advantage of the chaos to work on breaking the Incorporate Bond. And it seemed they have finally succeeded. The door to the room stood ajar, Bolton and Baelish having snuck inside moments before. By the time they made their way there, the two had burst out of the room again. There was something clutched in their arms. Something that glowed an eerie, icy blue.

"Now," hissed Bolton, raising his wand. Both him and Baelish grasped the object and then drew their wands in a quick move, slashing their own throats. Their lifeless bodies collapsed to the ground. 

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany stared, mouth dropping open.

_What the hells just happened?_ Did the Heart of Winter cause them to lose their minds?

But the look on Jon's face was all but making it obvious something was very wrong.

"Fuck," she heard a quiet exclamation from somewhere behind her.

A moment later she understood why. The bodies of the two Shadowalkers on the ground stirred, slowly getting back to their feet. Dany felt icy horror clutch her chest when they opened their eyes.

They were bright blue, cold and dead as chips of ice. Just like the eyes of the beast she had encountered when attempting to break through the Permafrost. But this time there were no sigils to break. They were facing two White Walkers now. Two undead monsters right out of a nightmare.

"You see," whispered the White Walker who used to be Petyr Bealish, "We have fulfilled our destiny and brought back the Night King. We _are_ the Night King."

He surveyed them all with his undead eyes, "Now you will see..." he whispered, his voice an icy-cold hiss, "now you will understand the true might of Endless Winter."

And he raised his arms, not even bothering with a wand. The temperature in the room suddenly plummeted, the air becoming bone-chilling. He then waved his arm in a circular motion and all the magical binds around the remaining Shadowalkers vanished. They were getting back to their feet.

The men of the Night's Watch raised their wands, preparing to fight again. The fight resumed but this time they were very obviously losing. Bolton and Baelish single-handedly deflected all spells, as though they had an invisible armor around themselves. They were shooting bolts of ice from their hands, which easily penetrated shields and wards. They also encased the doors in the room in magical blocks of ice, which Dany guessed would be near impossible to break.

That was the moment when she realized they might truly be lost.

Dany stepped back, her hands shaking. She felt Jon slip his hand into hers, squeezing her fingers. She glanced at his grim face and felt tears filling her eyes. She got so little time with him, she had just found him and now... their time might be up.

Everything flashed through her mind. From the first moment she saw him until now.

_Running headfirst into him, feeling flustered and hot under the collar, eyes so beautiful they made her forget her own name... his hand on hers making her heart race, instructing her in the correct way to cast a spell... dreaming of him, waking up with the taste of his kiss on her lips and the feel of his hands on her body... his feral grin, half-transformed into the Direwolf... his body, wet and glistening, stepping out of the lake, causing stirrings of desire in her gut... his eyes on hers across the chessboard... the shock of his lips on hers for the first time, giving her a taste of something she would become hopelessly addicted to... his body pressing into hers, the feeling so intense it was branded into her soul, feeling like she finally found what she didn't even know she was looking for... magic surging through her... his lips on her temple and his quiet voice asking if she was ready... flying atop a dragon, a burst of flame hitting the blue sky... clutching her wand, drawing a pattern to conjure the same dragon she had ridden once before... The Direwolf saving her life...heart breaking in two when he leaves, just to become whole again when he comes back._

Dany gasped. She couldn't explain it but she suddenly knew. She knew what she had to do.

She brought her eyes to Jon, who glanced at her while maintaining a giant Power Barrier, his eyes full of longing.

She was filled with determination now. And a strange unwavering certainty. Jon's gaze turned questioning at the look in her eyes. She squeezed his hand tightly.

"Help me?" she asked in a whisper. He knew what she meant, she didn't have to explain. The barrier vanished. He clutched his wand and closed his eyes, his other hand still linked with hers.

And Dany felt it. Like a wave, no, an avalanche of magic course through her, stronger than ever before. And with it... love. Pure, true, unfettered love. Jon's feelings for her.

She opened her eyes, which were now tinged with red. She had never felt this powerful before. She raised her wand.

A moment later, a huge dragon burst from the end of it, crimson-coloured and menacing, scaly wings spreading, maw opening to let loose an earth-shattering roar. _Meleys._

Everybody gasped, turning their heads to stare in awe.  
The ice-blue eyes of Bolton and Baelish narrowed, focusing on the creature. They raised their arms again.

But Dany knew what she had to do. She had done it once before, after all.

"Dracarys!" she yelled her last hope into the air.

The dragon opened its massive mouth, emitting a huge fireball. The two Shadowalkers were engulfed in Dragonfire.

The fire was so hot, Dany could feel its warmth hit her face like a wave. She heard screaming. Ear-splitting like the screech of tearing metal. There was only fire where the two White Walkers once stood.

The dragon lowered its crimson head, staring at Dany with something like familiarity gleaming in its eyes. Dany raised her hand to gently pat the scaly head, feeling the coarse skin, hot under her fingertips.

"Thank you," she murmured, as the dragon disappeared in a puff of smoke. 

Her other hand was still clutched in Jon's. He was looking at her with an expression on his face that made everything around her disappear. It was a mix of awe, pride and so much emotion that the world felt filled with it.

When the flames had finally dissipated, the smoke cleared to reveal the aftermath. 

Bolton and Baelish, or whatever undead versions of themselves they had become, were gone. They left nothing but ash behind. Ash... and something else. There was an object laying on the ground. It was smooth as glass and casting an eerie blue glow. The Heart of Winter.

Jon pulled her into his arms for a bone-crushing embrace. "You did it, Dany," he whispered, "you saved us all."

"I couldn't have done it without you," she whispered, clutching him to her, wanting to never let go. They eventually broke apart to survey the scene around them.

After a few more seconds in which everybody collected themselves, two members of the Night's Watch hurried towards the Heart of Winter, Edd carefully scooping it up.

"What do we do with that, LC?" asked Edd, hurrying towards Jon.

"Take it back to Castle Black," said Jon. He had released Dany from his tight embrace but his hand was still clasped tightly with hers, "We will devise a way to better protect it."

The Shadowalkers who remained immediately surrendered upon the defeat of their leaders. A few of the Night's Watch members bound them securely and were about to transport them away to the ministry to await trial for their crimes.

Others were tending to the wounded, using revival spells and flasks of potions. Miraculously, nobody was seriously injured.

Eventually, everybody slowly made their way out of the room, back towards the great hall.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


The great hall had a lot more people in it then when they left it. It seemed almost the entire staff was there, most of them still in their night-clothes.

Marg was arguing loud with Professor Lannister, who tried to insist they go back to their dormitories. Marg seemed to argue back something along the lines of _"No way in hells."_

Then Missy spotted them and cried out in relief, "Dany!"

Her friends ran up to her, immediately engulfing her in a group hug.

"Oh Gods, we were so worried," said Marg, nearly crushing her in a tight embrace, "Are you ok? What happened?"

"I would like to know that as well," said Professor Lannister, hurrying towards them, followed by some of the other staff members.

"Edd, do you want to take this?" She suddenly heard Jon's voice behind her.

Edd stepped forward, starting to give Professor Lannister, the agitated staff and Dany's friends a detailed recount of everything that happened. Everybody listened raptly, mouths opened in astonishment.

Dany turned to send a grateful smile to Jon, just to catch him looking at her. The look in his eyes made her wish they were alone.

Tyrion broke away from the group for a moment, heading towards Jon.

"Professor Snow, I would like to discuss with you how we're going to-"

"It's late, Tyrion," Jon interrupted him mid-sentence, "I haven't slept for days and I'd rather save the discussions for the morning."

"Yes, of course," mumbled Tyrion, looking resigned.

"I'm going to get some rest now," announced Jon.

Dany felt a pang of longing in her gut. She didn't want to part with him. Not now, probably not ever. But she knew she would have to wait, probably get some sleep herself, it'd been a very long night after a-

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt when Jon reached his hand to her, fire blazing in his eyes. Wordlessly, she reached out to grasp his hand, interlacing her fingers with his, feeling a rush of warmth from his fingertips all the way to her heart.

"Professor Snow," said Tyrion in a highly scandalized tone, "I would think it highly inappropriate to-"

"It's Lord Commander Snow, actually," Jon interrupted him, turning and walking away, his hand warm and strong in hers, gently pulling her after him, "I no longer work here."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Jon unlocked the door to his room with a flick of his wand and they both stepped inside. He turned around, his hand slipping from her grasp, his eyes burning into hers. They were so open and honest, so full of love that Dany could not take it anymore. She had to tell him.

He opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it.

"I love you," she said simply, stepping closer and wrapping her arms tightly around him. She saw him blink, his lips parting, emotion swirling in his eyes. She tightened her grasp around him and pressed her lips to his in a heated kiss.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," she murmured between kisses, "I wanted to tell you for so long..."

"Dany," he pushed her away gently, capturing her face softly between his palms. He pressed his forehead to hers, breathing shakily.

"I love you," he breathed, his warm breath tickling her lips, "so much. I've known this for a while but I couldn't tell you. Not while I was keeping secrets from you, lying to you, I didn't deserve it."

"Jon..." she could feel her eyes mist over, covering his hands with her own.

"I think I've loved you since the beginning," he smiled slightly, pressing his lips momentarily to hers, unable to stay away, "since the moment you ran into me on the first day of the year... it just took me a while to admit it to myself."

The tears were rolling down her face now. Jon ran his thumbs gently over her cheeks, wiping away the wetness. He brought his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply. Dany kissed him back, clutching his shirt to bring him closer. She was drinking from his lips as if parched, unable to stop if she tried.

The somehow found their way to the bed. Dany wasn't even sure how, only that they found themselves tangled between the sheets, naked bodies pressed impossibly close to each other as they kissed in a frenzy.

They exhaled heated breaths, stopping their frantic movements momentarily to lock their eyes together. Dany felt completely bare under his intense gaze, in heart, body and soul. There was nothing standing between them now, no secrets, no lies. It was just them.

His mouth descended on hers again, claiming her lips, stealing her breath away. His mouth then traced a fiery path down her body. She moaned when she felt the scrape of his teeth on her neck, the warmth of his mouth fastening around her breast, pulling and licking, causing ripples of need to spread all over her body.

Dany was already shivering by the time he buried his mouth between her legs. His fingers, lips and tongue causing delicious currents of pleasure to course through her body, pressing closer, deeper, not letting up until she screamed, toppling over the edge one, then twice. He didn't stop until she broke for the third time and sank trembling fingers in his hair. She pulled his head up to press her lips to his in a searing kiss, pulling his body flush against hers.

Their eyes locked as they broke apart to breathe. Dany's heart stuttered at the love reflecting in his eyes, mirroring hers. She raised her fingers to his lips, softly tracing over them.

"Jon," she whispered, voice shaky.

he pressed a kiss to her fingers, bringing his to cup her face, pulling her into a kiss, "Aye, I know, Dany," he breathed, "I feel the same."

And then the fire returned, as they kissed again, bruising, intense, feverish and crazed with need. Dany gasped then let out a loud moan as Jon finally parted her thighs and pressed inside her. Her back arched until she almost lifted off the bed. She felt his answering growl, like a thunder rolling through his body, moving out then sliding in again, his pace unrelenting, unstoppable. 

She matched him move for move, digging her fingernails into his shoulders as she pressed him deeper into her, needing to be as close as possible. She started to shiver yet again, approaching the precipice at an unbelievable speed. Moments before exploding again, she bent one leg to give herself leverage, flipping them over so that she was sitting atop him, his body still nestled inside hers.

Jon was breathing hard, gazing up at her in awe as if he were seeing a queen, a goddess. The look that was saved solely for her. Feeling another surge of desire shoot through her at seeing this look in his eyes, Dany started moving again, riding him as if she were a feral animal seeking release.

He growled, his fingers pressing into her hips, helping her move above him. _More_ , Dany wanted to make him feel more. To make feel the crazed, chaotic sensations he could raise within her with just a look or a touch. And she knew how to drive him mad with lust.

So she bent down in a flash, biting hard at his lower lip. He growled as his body spasmed, so forcefully so that she could feel it deep inside her own, down where they were joined. He tried to rise to capture her lips again, but she bent down, pressing his wrists to the bed, riding him ferociously. 

_You might be a wolf, Jon Snow... but I'm a Dragon._

So close... she was so close. And so was he, she could tell. The moment before she finally broke into a million pieces, he rose up suddenly, his mouth pressing to hers, swallowing her loud moan, fusing their bodies together so closely Dany could swear they were one. She convulsed in his arms, legs tight around him, feeling him erupt inside of her.

They stayed wrapped around each other for a long time after, unable to move, unwilling to part. Eventually, after the tremors had subsided, Jon pressed his hands gently to Dany's hips, moving her up and off him. She hissed slightly at the loss of contact but gave a soft satisfied sigh when Jon wrapped his arms around her again, engulfing her body with his own.

They curled under the covers, sweaty bodies pressed close together, fingers intertwined. Dany felt complete calm and peace wash over her, safe and sound in Jon's arms. She was where she was meant to be. Her eyes closed of their own volition, but she could still feel the gentle flutter of lips on her shoulder and the whispered "I love you," before she fell asleep, heart feeling lighter than it had ever been.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


A lone ray of sun broke through the window, the single source of light in the otherwise dark room. Dany laid in silence, eyes still closed, not daring to move. She was suddenly irrationally afraid that it had all been a dream. That once she opened her eyes she'd be alone in her bed in the Gryffindor tower and Jon still beyond The Wall.

But then Jon's arm snaked around her from behind, pulling her against his chest, pressing a soft kiss to her neck. Her insides near melted with delight and relief.

"Morning, love," he murmured in her ear, "you're up early."

She turned in his arms, locking her hands around his neck to kiss him deeply, pressing her body flush against his. She could feel his body awaken against hers.

"I see I'm not the only one," she purred against his lips, biting the bottom one playfully.

He made a sound like a growl, flipping her on her back in a flash, pressing himself impossibly close, letting her feel exactly how awake he was.

"We should probably head down to breakfast soon," he murmured between kisses, seemingly having a hard time moving away from her, "there will be a lot of people wanting to talk to us."

"Well, all I want is to keep you here in this bed all day long," she breathed back, pressing closer still, curling her body around his like a snake, "we've earned it."

He made a sound of agreement, shifting his body slightly.

Dany moaned when she felt his tip nudge against her, already delirious with wanting him. But she stopped him, pressing a hand on his shoulder when he made to slide down her body, intent on putting his wicked tongue and talented lips to work in order to drive her insane.

"Uh-uh," she murmured, pushing up from the bed to flip them over, "it's my turn now."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


More than an hour later, they finally dragged themselves out of bed. After a semi-hurried shower that devolved into yet another round of activities that left them both gasping for breath, they pulled on their clothes and made their way out of the room, blinking in the bright light that filtered in through the windows.

The castle seemed brighter, happier, Dany mused when they walked down the quiet hallway. Like something heavy had been lifted, letting the sunshine in again.

Just outside the great hall, they unlinked their hands, deciding it better not to draw attention. Even if he wasn't her teacher anymore, Dany was reluctant to be an even bigger gossip target than she already would be, considering everything that happened the previous night. She had two and a half more months before she graduated, after all.

Dany entered first, making a beeline to the Gryffindor table, where all her friends were already seated. She tried to ignore the rise in the volume of whispers around her as she made their way there. She hastily plopped down next to Missy, directly across from Marg and Loras who were smiling at her.

Missy hugged her and Loras clapped a hand over her shoulder. Marg just stared at her, smiling over her coffee cup.

"Well, good morning to you, Winter's End," she drawled, raising an amused eyebrow, "you look like you've had quite an exhausting night. And morning."

Dany blinked, "What did you just call me?" she asked in confusion.

"Winter's End," Marg repeated, pointing over Dany's shoulder to the high table, where members of the Night's Watch sat, dining alongside the staff. They seemed to be deep in discussion with the headmaster, who was finally back, "that's what they call you now."

Dany shook her head, cheeks pinkening. Jon took this opportunity to enter the great hall, making his way to the staff table. Dany followed him with her eyes.

"Gods, girl, didn't you have enough?" giggled Marg, seeing the direction Dany was looking, "you're staring at him like you want to drag him to a dark corner."

"So would you if you had the morning I had," Dany muttered. Her friends burst into laughter by her side and she smiled at them. It felt good to be happy. To not worry for a change.

"I couldn't have done it without him," she murmured, her friends' expressions turning soft, "not without his teachings, his confidence in me and, well... I don't think I could've conjured a weapon so strong without him lending me his magic."

"Mmm," said Marg, "I guess that's why they nicknamed him Dawnbringer now."

Once most people were finished eating, the headmaster rose from his seat, motioning with his arms. The crowd quieted down at once.

The headmaster looked around, face beaming, "I am very happy to report of good tidings, dear students," he started, "as all of you have already heard, last night, in this very castle, the Night King had almost come back once again," he paused, as whispers broke out, "but thanks to the resourcefulness and incredible courage of some of our very own students and the help of the brave members of the Night's Watch, led by Lord Commander Jon Snow, evil had once again been defeated."

The headmaster turned his kind gaze to the Gryffindor table, asking the four of them to stand up.

Dany felt her face grow hot when everybody applauded them, staff, students and Night's Watchmen. She was having a hard time reconciling this with the fact that only yesterday Professor Lannister was telling them in no uncertain terms to stay away from all of it. But boy, was she glad she didn't listen. Beside her, her friends were laughing, hugging her and each other. She hugged them back, feeling a rush of love for them. Family. They were truly her family.

After The Night's Watch also got applauded, the great hall quieted down again, as the headmaster gave more details about what had happened, explaining how Jon came to teach at the school. 

Dany let her mind wander while the speech was taking place. She cast a glance out the window. The spring sun was shining brightly and she longed to be outside after being practically imprisoned in the gloomy castle for what felt like forever.

The headmaster then announced that they were free to enjoy the rest of the weekend outdoors if they wished, while he and the staff removed all the extra protection around the castle. Classes were to resume on Monday.

When the breakfast had ended, everyone got up, happily making plans to enjoy the beautiful weather. Marg suggested they go sit on the grass by the Quidditch pitch, which had a lovely view of the sweeping grounds. But Dany wasn't listening, she caught Jon's eyes as he got up from his seat. He glanced at her and then at the exit door, raising an eyebrow in question. She smiled.

"Sorry, guys," she interrupted Marg mid-sentence, "I have something else to do." And she strode away towards the exit, ignoring Marg's amused, "Don't you mean some _one_ else?"

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


They found themselves by the edge of the lake, next to some smooth flat rocks. Dany suddenly realized it was the place where she accidentally stumbled upon Jon when he was out for an evening swim in the lake. She couldn't stay away already then... it felt like it happened a thousand years ago.

The came to sit together, Jon's back braced against a rock, Dany nestled between his spread legs, her back resting on his chest. They sat in silence for a few minutes. 

Jon's hand was idly stroking through her hair, rubbing the silky moonlight-colored strands between his fingers. She was lounging in his lap with her eyes closed, absently tracing her fingers over his thigh, drawing amorphous patterns. She could feel him shivering slightly under her touch and couldn't help but smile. She loved being able to affect him so. He could render her breathless with just a look or a touch, it was only fair to have the same impact over him.

"Jon," she murmured finally, eyes still closed.

"Mmm?"

"Tell me the future."

He chuckled, "I'm not a Seer, you know, maybe you should talk to Bran."

She smiled, stretching like a cat, "Tell me anyway... what happens now?" Despite the easy atmosphere, it was a serious question. They'd never actually discussed their plans for the future, and even though she felt safe in the knowledge that he loved her as deeply as she loved him, she was still unsure. Afraid that this wonderful dreamlike sensation of being with him would burst like a soap bubble, leaving her empty and alone.

He made a soft noise at the back of this throat, tightening his arms around her, engulfing her in his warmth.

"Well," he started, "You're going to breeze through your exams and graduate with honours. You will then apply to become an Auror." He paused, pressing a light kiss against her temple, "The ministry is going to accept because they'd be insane not to. You're going to fly through the training and become a fully-fledged Auror in record time."

"And you?" she asked, holding her breath with anticipation for his answer.

"I'm going to return to Castle Black to wrap some things up," he said lightly, "and then I'm going to resign from my post as Lord Commander. Edd has proven himself to be an excellent second-in-command and I'm going to recommend him for the Lord Commander position in my stead."

Dany's heart hammered, not daring to believe, "And then what?"

"Then I'll go back to the Auror office. Selmy did say I'm welcome back any time I please." She could hear the smile in his voice.

"Am I going to be on your squad?"

"Do you want to be?"

"It depends..." she murmured, eyes closed against the glare of the spring sun, "on whether they have any anti-fraternization rules there."

He just chuckled in response.

"I'm going to have to find a place in King's Landing," she mused, "It's a long way to travel from Dragonstone."

"Well..."

"What?"

"You could stay in my apartment in KL," he murmured, "with me."

She bit on her lower lip, trying hard to suppress the overjoyed smile threatening to spread over her face, her heart skipping a beat.

"Jon Snow," she drawled, "did you just ask me to move in with you?"

"And what if I did?"

She giggled, turning in his arms to press a long slow kiss to his lips.

"What else?" she murmured, in lieu of answering, going back to resting her back against him, her hand tangling with his.

"We'd be living in KL, working as Aurors," he murmured, his breath tickling her ear, his thumb now tracing small circles on her palm, "and then... in two years or so when you're a bit older, I'm going to ask you to marry me."

Dany froze, her body going completely still, unsure if she misheard.

"W-What?" she croaked, mouth suddenly dry, feeling as though her heart was beating somewhere outside her body.

"You heard me."

"So... you're planning to make me wait two years for a ring?" She was proud of herself for managing to keep the quiver out of her voice. Her palms were getting damp. It was still hard to believe... after everything that's happened, that she was sitting in Jon Snow's arms at the edge of the lake and that he just said he intended to ask her to marry him.

He pulled his hand from her grasp and turned her in his arms to bring his lips to her. His kiss deep, passionate and determined. It felt like a promise, like a vow.

"To be completely honest," he murmured against her lips as he broke the kiss, "I'm not sure I can wait that long."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was nearly it.
> 
> If you haven't yet noticed, I now have a final chapter count for this story, which makes this chapter the penultimate one. I honestly can't believe it's almost done.
> 
> Only one chapter to go now... hope you're all still with me ;)


	19. Ice & Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done. It's finally done!!! I can hardly believe it 😮
> 
> A bit about this chapter so you know what's waiting for you- this is an epilogue for the story and it shows snippets of Jon and Dany's future. It may look incomplete, but it's exactly what I meant it to be. You'll get bits and pieces and you can imagine the rest on your own. I think there are enough details to paint a clear picture.
> 
> Another thing, the timeline jumps back and forth a bit. I think it's clear enough what happened when, but in case anything is unclear, feel free to ask questions in the comments, I'm always happy to answer.
> 
> The song excerpt at the end was written by the immensely talented [Andrew001](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andrew001/). Thank you so much, my friend!
> 
> Ok! Without further ado, I'll let you jump right in. I'll ramble on a bit more at the end notes and will also outline my plans for the future (vis a vis writing) there.
> 
> So, for the last time for this story... Enjoy!

Dany walked over to the balcony, pulling the glass doors wide open. She stepped outside, leaning over the railing, taking a deep breath of the cool evening air.

The sky was painted breathtaking purple and orange, the setting sun resembling a molten orb of lava in the distance, bleeding into the water of Blackwater Bay.

Between her and the bay, the sweeping view of King's Landing was spread. Houses, streets and plazas were shining in a multitude of colors under the sunset. Dany smiled, eyes roving over the beautiful view. These hours of the evening had always been her favorite. They felt mystical, somehow, everything suspended in twilight while day slowly bled into night. 

The world felt quieter then. She felt she could think more clearly. Her memory drifted back to another sunset, a little more than a year ago...

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


They were inside the castle, by one of the large windows overlooking the sweeping grounds. On the horizon, the sun was setting.

Jon's arms were wrapped around her waist, holding her flush against him for another long and thorough kiss. She clutched his shirt with both hands, kissing him back just as deeply.

She felt a tiny pang in the vicinity of her heart at the thought of parting from him again. He had to go back to Castle Black to work out a way to protect The Heart of Winter and she had exams coming up. Her graduation was approaching, the schoolyear would be over in two short months.

Jon's tongue swept over her lips, which parted easily, letting him have a taste.

"Mmm... keep kissing like that and I'm going to tie you up to my bed and never let you leave," she murmured, briefly breaking the kiss to breathe.

He chuckled against her lips, warm breath tickling her face, "If you behave, I might let you do that someday," he murmured back, playfully nipping at her lower lip.

"And if I don't?"

"I'll let you do that anyway."

"Gods, Jon," she laughed, breathless and aroused, "You're not making it easier."

His face turned a touch more serious, "I'll miss you, love," he whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

"I'll miss you too," she breathed back, hands now pressed flat against his chest so she could feel his strong and steady heartbeat. She could feel the raised outline of the scar over his heart just beneath her fingertips. She vowed to kiss it better as often as she possibly could.

But that would have to wait.

They were saying their goodbyes for the time being. Jon's transport to Castle Black was moments away from the Academy, so they took the opportunity to say goodbye in private.

Once the schoolyear ended, she was planning to meet him in King's Landing, where she would hopefully start Auror training. She could hardly wait.

They heard somebody clearing their throat behind them.

"They're here, LC, time to go," said Edd's voice. He sounded slightly apologetic.

"I'll be right there," said Jon, his eyes still on hers. Edd retreated.

"I'll see you soon," he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers, "I love you."

Dany's heart nearly overflowed with emotion. She was fairly certain she would never get used to him saying that. 

"I love you," she murmured back.

He gave her another one of those fiery looks that were solely hers and then he was gone.

Dany wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing them vigorously against the evening chill. She stared out of the wide window at the setting sun in the horizon, excitement taking residence in her heart.

_Two more months._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


> _Dear Miss Targaryen,_
> 
> _I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the next term of The Ministry of Magic's Auror Training programme._
> 
> _Kindly report to the Auror Headquarters in the Ministry offices in King's Landing on the second of August, at nine o'clock in the morning._
> 
> _You need only bring your wand. All other equipment will be provided for you._
> 
> _Yours sincerely,_
> 
> _Barristan Selmy  
>  Head of the Auror Office  
>  Department of Magical Law Enforcement  
>  The Ministry of Magic_

  
Dany traced her fingers over the neat cursive script, reading and re-reading it for what felt like the thousandth time. She had just received it a week before, right when the schoolyear had ended and the summer break started. She had a month before training started, which gave her the opportunity to pack all of her belongings and travel home to her parents' estate in Dragonstone. 

Viserys had insisted she come spend some time with him and their parents there while he had some time off from work.

She intended to talk to her parents and brother and somehow explain she was about to move in with her former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, who was actually the former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. This was going to be an interesting conversation.

Viserys had been the one to pick her up from the train station, getting out of the car to envelop her in a big hug.

"Hi, Vis," she murmured into his shoulder, hugging him fiercely.

"It's good to see you again, little sister," he smiled in greeting, pulling away to properly look at her, "You look all grown up," he remarked.

Dany rolled her eyes, "You saw me like six months ago."

Her brother chuckled, "Must be that you're a fully qualified witch now. Makes you look taller."

Dany snorted. Viserys helped her carry her bags to his car and they started making their way towards Dragonstone Manor.

"So," he started, "I heard through the grapevine that you were accepted to Auror training. Why didn't you tell me?"

Dany smiled, "Maybe I wanted to surprise you."

He nodded, expression serious, "The training is very rigorous, very difficult. You are aware of that, I assume?"

Dany raised an eyebrow, "You don't think I can do it?"

"I know you can," he glanced at her briefly, lips quirked in a smile. Dany grinned back at him, pride blossoming in her chest. She really had missed him.

"I guess we'll be seeing more of each other, then," he remarked.

"I guess so."

He frowned slightly, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, "You're going to have to find a place to live in King's Landing," he said thoughtfully, "It's a long way from Dragonstone. I'd offer you to stay with me but my apartment is no more than a glorified shoebox-"

Dany bit her lip, heartbeat picking up speed, "Well, actually," she interrupted his musings, "I kind of... have a place to stay already."

"Oh?" he sounded surprised, "are you rooming with some of your friends from school?"

"Not exactly..."

He frowned again, "Where then? I don't think you can afford a place of your own with an Auror-in-training salary, I hope you weren't planning on-"

"No, Vis, I-" _Here goes..._ , "I'm staying with... with someone. I'm sort of... sort of moving in with him," she mumbled, feeling her cheeks heat up.

There were a few seconds of silence while Viserys navigated the car through the busy streets.

"So... you're telling me," he said slowly, "that you have a boyfriend? And you're moving in with him? And you never mentioned it?"

Dany mumbled an affirmative in response.

They spent a few more seconds driving in silence.

"Is it a boy you met at school?" Viserys finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Sort of..." _Definitely not a BOY._

Viserys sighed, "Are you going to make me play twenty questions or are you going to tell me about him?"

"Well..." Dany hesitated, "I did meet him at school. You actually met him once."

"I have?" Viserys blinked, "You don't mean the Tyrell boy, do you? Because he's quite obviously-"

"No, Vis," Dany rolled her eyes, "of course not."

"Then who else have I met?"

"Umm- his name is Jon, you met him when we came to visit the ministry back in December," she said, waiting with bated breath for him to realize what she was saying.

But Viserys looked completely nonplussed, "I don't recall meeting any new friends of yours when you visited the ministry," he frowned, "the only new person I recall is-" He abruptly stopped talking, mouth falling open.

"Daenerys Stormborn Targaryen," he finally said after a few stunned seconds, "do you mean to tell me you're moving in with your TEACHER?"

"He's not my teacher anymore," she reminded him, "he never was, not really, he's kind of been undercover at The Academy all year..." she was babbling out of sheer nerves.

"Ok, stop," he interrupted, "go back to the beginning. Before I manage to convince myself that you completely lost your mind," he said grimly.

Dany sighed in resignation. She then gave her brother the abridged version of how her relationship with Jon came to be.

He listened silently, letting her speak. When she was finally done, she leaned her head back on the headrest, suddenly exhausted. Her stomach was still fluttering with nerves.

"Well?" she said, unable to stand his silence any longer, "You have nothing to say?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure what to say," he said tightly, "I guess I never thought my little sister would-" he stopped, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Dany-" he started again.

"I love him, Vis," she interrupted, determined to make him understand, "and he loves me. He saved my life," she placed her hand on her brother's, which was clutching the steering wheel, "I know he and I didn't have the most... traditional start to our relationship, but..." she took a deep breath, "he makes me happy. Happier than I've ever been. Doesn't that count for anything?" she asked gently.

"I guess it does," he muttered. He took a deep breath, "and I suppose... I trust you, little sister. If you say you're happy."

"I am," she grinned at him, feeling thoroughly relieved, "So... can you do my a little favour?"

He just raised an eyebrow at her.

"Let me tell mom and dad he's someone I met at school and leave it at that?"

He was silent for a moment, considering.

"Fine. But I'm going to have to meet him," he said finally, his tone brooking no argument, "and make sure he knows that if he mistreats you in any way, I'm going to-"

"- hex him to oblivion, yeah, deal," Dany rolled her eyes, punching her brother's arm playfully.

His expression turned grave, however.

"Sis, this is not just big brother talk. After Rhaegar... you going to the Auror's office, moving in with a man who attracts danger..."

Dany sighed, "I know what it looks like, Vis, I've thought a lot about it. But this is right. The rightest thing I've ever felt in my life. Trust me."

"I do." His frown slowly turned into a smile. "Look at you... when did my baby sis become an adult?"

Dany smiled.

The rest of the drive went by in companionable silence.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany raised her hand to knock on the door, nervously clutching the strap of her backpack. After a month in Dragonstone, Viserys had been the one to drive her back to the train station. She was now standing at Jon's doorstep, bags and all. 

He had offered to pick her up from the station in KL, but she declined. She knew he had to work and was meant to arrive home just minutes before her own arrival there. So she preferred to make her way there on her own and familiarize herself with the city.

The door opened in a flash, and she got her first glimpse of Jon in months. She opened her mouth to greet him, heart beating erratically in nerves and happiness when she was suddenly swept into a scorching kiss, and all she managed to get out was "mmmph."

They just managed to get her bags inside before Jon kicked the door closed with his foot. She then found herself pressed against the closed door, while Jon's tongue plundered her mouth. Her hands roamed over his body greedily, trying to wrestle his shirt off without breaking the kiss. She hadn't even realized until this moment just how much she had missed him.

His mouth then trailed down her body, kissing and nibbling. She only just noticed then that her shirt and bra were somehow already on the floor. Successfully managing to rip the offending shirt off him, she pressed her naked breasts to his chest, feeling the Direwolf pendant pressing into her skin. She gasped, wrenching her lips away from him for just long enough to purr in his ear, "Pants off. Now."

Afterwards, she was laying on her back next to Jon in his spacious bed, her naked skin tickled by the slight breeze coming in through the open window.

"Well," she breathed out when she finally regained her powers of speech, "I'd ask if you missed me but I think I got my answer."

He chuckled next to her, also gloriously naked and sweaty. He reached his hand to her, drawing her into his arms. He pressed a tender kiss to her sweaty brow.

"Welcome home," he whispered in her ear and she shivered.

 _Home_. The two of them together, that was home.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


It was the weekend. Dany had just finished her first week of Auror training.

It was late morning, the sun's rays filtering through the partially-shut curtains of the bedroom. They were lounging in bed, in each other's arms.

"So how did your first week go?" Jon asked in a murmur, eyes half-closed.

She smiled, trailing her fingers across his chest, "It was good," she said, "tough, but interesting. I'm really glad I had you as my Defence teacher this last year."

He smiled, eyes popping lazily open, "Oh? And why's that?"

"It was a good introduction, I guess," she laughed, "training is a bit like your classes. Exhausting, demanding and I feel like whatever I do is not good enough, so it's a good thing I had some practice dealing with this sort of teaching," she said teasingly as he rolled his eyes.

Training had been brutally difficult, but extremely rewarding. And it did resemble Jon's lessons a great deal. Only the instructor had been even more of a hardass and, unfortunately, not half as handsome.

They were learning far more advanced magic than she ever encountered and everything went by so fast. The instructor hadn't bothered with repeating himself, so it was up to the trainees to catch up on their own if they missed anything.

"I like it, though," she murmured, "I'm learning so much... I think I'll be good at it."

"You already are," he reminded her, running his fingers through her hair, lightly scratching her scalp, "Winter's End."

Dany giggled. She rather liked that nickname.

"How about you?" she murmured, closing her eyes languidly, enjoying his light touch, "how was your week?"

She knew he had his hands full, having been re-instated as a squad leader in the Auror office. The rumour circling around the department was that Selmy was planning to retire soon and had chosen Jon as his successor as the head of the Auror Office. Jon had admitted to her that Selmy had been hinting at it but nothing official had been decided just yet. He had another year before retirement at the very least.

"Mmm... boring," he answered, his hand sliding down to her shoulders, "I miss my time at the Academy."

"Oh? Even the bothersome students?"

"Well... one student, in fact."

"Do tell," she flipped on her stomach, stapling her hands under her chin to watch him intently, "tell me more about the student of yours that you miss."

Jon hummed thoughtfully, "She's smart and talented, and she expertly handled everything I threw at her-"

Dany snorted, "Eventually, I suppose."

"- and she's determined and never gives up."

Dany grinned, "Sounds like quite the student."

"And did I mention how gorgeous she is?"

"Hmm... no, you didn't, but please... elaborate," Dany adopted a mock-serious expression, trying hard to suppress her smile and the stirrings of desire in her belly.

"So bloody gorgeous that she made me want to do things to her that I definitely should not have been thinking of... considering she was my student."

"Well, that sounds... very wrong, _Professor_ ," Dany drawled, one hand sneaking up to lightly trail over his bare chest.

"Indeed," he continued, "and she wasn't making it any easier. She was flirting with me, even though she knew she shouldn't."

Dany laughed, dropping the pretence, "Liked my flirting, did you?"

He quirked a smile, his hand sneaking downwards to caress her exposed back, "You, confessing that you could barely walk straight around me?" he chuckled, "aye, I liked that." His eyes had that look in them again. The one that lit a furnace in her stomach.

The situation devolved quite quickly after that.

Not a long time later, she was on top of him, hips undulating as she rode him, hands braced on his chest. The blanket was twisted around their lower halves.

She was nearing the edge, she could feel the coil of it in her stomach. Just before she tumbled over it, Jon sat up to press his mouth to hers, tongue thrusting inside. His hand inched down, disappearing under the blanket. When his fingers found their goal, she gasped, eyes flying open. She exploded a heartbeat later, shuddering and moaning, feeling him join her.

They collapsed in a heap upon the tangled sheets breathing hard. A few moments later, Jon's phone started beeping. He ignored it until Dany nudged him, "Just tell whoever it is to leave us alone," she murmured, "I'm not done with you yet."

He chuckled, reaching his hand in resignation to the bedside table and grabbing the offending device, resisting the urge to fling it out the window. He frowned at the display, bringing the phone to his ear.

"Arya?" he spoke into it, sounding surprised.

Dany popped a curious eye open. It was his cousin. She had never met her, save for the one time seeing her on stage during the Yule Ball. She listened to Jon's side of the conversation.

"Aren't you touring in Essos?"

His eyes widened slightly at whatever Arya said, "You are? Sure, I'd be happy to-" he sat up abruptly, "What? When?"

He put down the phone with a groan, springing out of bed, hastily searching the floor for his pants.

"What is it?" Dany raised her eyebrow.

"Uh- my cousins are on their way here," he muttered, opening a drawer to grab a clean t-shirt, "apparently, Arya told Sansa that I moved in with someone and they're anxious to meet you. So... they'll be here in twenty minutes."

"What?" Dany jumped out of bed as well, scurrying towards the bathroom.

Exactly twenty-three minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Jon, now fully clothed, went to answer. Dany was hovering nervously in the living room. She heard female voices from the entrance and Jon's gruff voice. Then two young women burst into the room, looking around until their eyes fell on her.

Jon followed them, coming to stand by her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "Dany, these are my cousins, Sansa and Arya," he nodded towards them, but before he could continue, the taller one with the flaming red hair interrupted him, "And you must be Daenerys."

"You can call me Dany," she extended her hand for a shake, finding herself being enveloped in a hug by the red-head instead, "it's good to meet you," Sansa exclaimed and stepped back. She levelled an accusing gaze at Jon, "I wouldn't even know about you if it weren't for Arya," she said pointedly.

Jon rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

Arya, dark-haired and shorter, the one that resembled Jon so, just scanned her shrewdly, a spark in her eye, "So," she drawled, "you're the one they call Winter's End, huh?"

Dany felt her cheeks pinking, "I guess so."

"Aren't you going to offer us something to drink, Jon?" Arya asked, not taking her eyes off Dany.

Jon sighed and turned to shuffle towards the kitchen, not before muttering to her, "I apologize in advance for these two."

When Jon disappeared into the kitchen, the two girls pulled her to sit on the sofa between them.

"You have to tell us everything," said Sansa excitedly, "I can't wait to hear about the woman that has our broody cousin head-over-heels for her."

"Well, we know some things," Arya drawled, smiling slyly at her, "been sleeping with your teacher, huh, Dany?"

"Arya!" Sansa punched her shoulder, rolling her eyes, "I apologize for her, she never did have a filter."

Dany laughed. She found she liked them already, "That's ok. You're not wrong," she admitted to Arya, "took a while but I finally got him where I wanted him," she winked at her.

Both women burst into laughter at that, "Going after what you want, I like you already," said Arya with a devilish grin.

Jon chose this moment to reappear, wand pointed at a levitating tray which held their drinks.

"So why didn't you tell us you had a girlfriend?" Sansa shot at him, picking up a glass from the tray.

"I told Arya, I figured the news will travel from there," he shrugged, plopping on the armchair across from them.

"You're training to be an Auror, right?" interrupted Arya.

Dany spent the next hour or so being peppered with questions by the two women about everything from her family to her Auror training to her relationship with Jon.

Jon was sitting across from them, mostly quiet. At one point, she glanced in his direction and caught him looking at her. The soft look in his eyes made her momentarily forget what she was talking about.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


All in all, Jon's prediction of how their future would look had been remarkably accurate, Dany mused. She graduated with honors, reaping a handful of Outstanding's. She even received a special praise for her performance on the Defence Against the Dark Arts practical exam.

After being accepted to Auror training, she had moved in with Jon. The next few months had been a whirlwind. A combination of intensive training and the excitement of finally living with him. Those were some of the best months of her life to date.

There was only one thing Jon hadn't been able to predict. That thing was now sleeping on her father's chest on the sofa behind Dany. She glanced back at the pair of them, a wave of love so intense washing over her, she never thought a love like this could possibly exist.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany stared at the cauldron in front of her, heart hammering and mouth agape. She couldn't quite believe it. Well, she _had_ been sort of inattentive about taking her Prevention Potion, but in her defence, training had been brutal and she had been distracted.

Only now she had proof that the exhaustion she had been feeling was not to be attributed to training alone.

_Well, then._

She was only a few weeks away from becoming a fully-fledged Auror. She knew she could finish the training, she wasn't worried about that in the least. But the change to her life that was about to happen was more difficult to wrap her mind around.

She jumped a little when she heard the front door open and close. _I need to tell him. I should tell him now._

She went out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her and made her way out of the bedroom, to Jon who had just shed his overcoat and boots.

He raised his head, giving her that look that never failed to make her heart flutter in her chest. He walked over to her, wrapping a hand around her waist to draw her into a long kiss, "Hey," he murmured against her lips.

"Hey, yourself," she answered, burying her head briefly in his chest, her arms curling tightly around him.

"Everything alright?" she heard the rumble of his voice through his chest. There was a touch of concern in it.

"Mmm," she raised her head finally to meet his worried frown. She drew out of his arms, stapling her lower lip between her teeth in her trademark nervous gesture and crossing her arms over her body.

"Dany-" he started, but she cut him off.

"- so you know I've been tired lately and I thought it was only training, and I mean it _is_ training, partly, because it's been very intense and I haven't been getting much sleep, but you know this, you've done it before-" she was babbling nervously. Jon came to her aid, gently grasping her chin with his fingers, tilting her head so he could look into her eyes.

"Dany, tell me what's wrong," he murmured, the emotion swimming in his eyes making her heart skip a beat. At that moment, she feared she might explode if she didn't just _say_ it.

"I- I think I'm pregnant," she blurted out, sliding her eyes away from his momentarily, "only, I don't just think, I know I am. I checked."

Silence. She held her breath. Slid her eyes back to his. He stood there frozen for a moment, eyes wide, mouth slightly open.

And then he exhaled, "Oh, Gods," and swept her into a tight hug, lifting her so that her toes grazed the floor. He pulled away so he could look in her eyes again and she could see it in his eyes. Disbelief, excitement and unbelievable love.

"Really?" he whispered, as though not daring to believe his ears.

"Really," she laughed, vision blurring because her eyes were misting over at Jon's obvious delight.

He spun her around in a circle, arms still tight around her for a few more seconds then put her down and pulled her towards the sofa, drawing her to sit with her back to his chest. He tentatively placed his slightly shaky hand over her stomach, which, she had only noticed just then, had an almost imperceptible curvature to it that hadn't been there a few months ago.

"So... when?" he whispered.

"In about seven months," she murmured back, covering his hand with hers, feeling swept away by his excitement. She relaxed in his arms, feeling the tension all but draining away.

A moment later, Jon untangled himself from her and stood up abruptly.

Dany stood up immediately, stomach clenching in concern, "What are you doing?"

"Something I should have done a while ago," he said and put his hand in his pocket, pulling something out.

Dany's eyes bulged when she saw the small crimson box in his hand. She knew this was coming. Someday. He told her that much. But apparently 'someday' was _'now'_.

"Jon..." she whispered, simultaneously stunned and delighted, "how did you-"

"I've been carrying it around for weeks," he admitted, "I was waiting, I didn't know for what. I guess I know now..."

She melted a little when he took a deep breath, running a nervous hand through his hair. _As if there is any doubt as to what my answer will be..._

He flicked the box open and Dany's heart all but stopped, staring at the ring nestled inside.

"Dany," he started, voice somewhat shaky, "will you-"

He never got a chance to finish when she threw herself into his arms, knocking him down to the carpet, pressing her mouth to his in a breathtaking kiss.

"Yes," she breathed against his lips, "Gods, yes."

Jan laughed, breathless as she kept kissing him, "And I was going to bend the knee and everything," he mumbled between kisses. She laughed giddily, so happy she could feel it swelling in her stomach like a balloon.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


"You're WHAT?" Dany winced and pulled the phone away from her ear since Marg was nearly screaming into it, "say that again. Because I thought I heard you say that you're engaged."

"That's what I said."

"Oh my Gods," Marg dissolved into joyful intelligible screeching sounds that Dany assumed were meant to be congratulatory words. She laughed at her friend's enthusiasm.

"When is it? Where is it? Am I invited? Did you tell Missy yet? Oh, Loras is going to die when I tell him. Wait, can I tell him, pretty please, can I tell him???" Marg fired the questions at her so rapidly that she could barely make out what she was saying.

Dany rolled her eyes even though Marg couldn't see her, "Of course you're invited, silly, Missy and Loras, too, obviously," she replied hastily before Marg had the chance to fire any more questions at her.

"LORAAAAS, YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT DANY JUST TOLD ME," Marg yelled, nearly piercing Dany's eardrum in the process.

Dany heard a muffled voice in the background, supposedly Loras'.

"SHE AND JON ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!"

The muffled voice spoke again, something sounding vaguely like 'what the f--'.

"He says congratulations," Marg reported into the phone, then promptly got distracted when the muffled voice was heard again, "WHAT?" she yelled, presumably to Loras.

She laughed and spoke into the phone again, "He's asking if you're pregnant."

Dany's heart started hammering, but Marg didn't wait for an answer before screaming back to Loras, "DON'T BE A DICK, LOR, THEY'RE IN LOVE."

"Although," she giggled into the phone, "I wouldn't be surprised what with how often you two must be going at it... living together and all."

Dany just sighed and shook her head, glad Marg couldn't see her cheeks burning. She wasn't quite ready to tell them yet.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


She had her hand clasped firmly in Jon's as they made their way up the path to the front door of Winterfell castle, where Jon's aunt and uncle lived.

Upon hearing from Jon the news about their engagement, Arya had relayed the news the rest of the family, prompting a phonecall from Jon's uncle Ned, who insisted they come visit Winterfell so they could properly meet her. And so, come the weekend, they travelled all the way north to Winterfell. 

She was slightly nervous, although she was at least grateful she had met Sansa and Arya before. So there at least would be some familiar faces around. She was especially intrigued about meeting Jon's cousin Bran. The famous Greenseer who Saw the return of the Night King. Jon had described him as _"peculiar"_ and Dany was curious to see what that meant.

The door near slammed open a split second after they knocked to reveal Sansa. She hurried to hug them both, "Dany, it's great to see you again," she said breathlessly, releasing them from the hug and grabbing hold of Dany's left hand, "show me!"

She cried out gleefully at the shiny piece of jewellery glinting on Dany's ring finger, "So Arya wasn't lying, oh, it's so beautiful," she sighed dreamily.

Before they had a chance to respond, she ushered them inside, closing the door behind them.

"They're heeeeere," she called out in a sing-song voice. A moment later, Arya Stark's head poked out of an adjoining room. She smiled and came out to meet them, accompanied by a taller auburn-haired young man that Dany had remembered vaguely from the Winter Wolves performance.

"Robb Stark," he introduced himself, coming closer to give her a hug.

"Hey there, cousin, long time no see," he smiled at Jon, pulling him, as well, into a brief hug, "it's a good thing Arya has a big mouth or we'd only see you at funerals and weddings," he smirked at him.

"Speaking of which," Sansa cut in, "when is it? Are you having it here? Oh, please, tell me you're having it here in the Godswood, it's perfect."

Dany laughed at her excitement, "Yes, we're having it here," she glanced at Jon who gave her a small sweet smile, his hand warm on the small of her back, "as to when..." she hesitated. They were planning to have it quite soon what with the other major change coming up in their lives, but they haven't actually told anyone about it yet.

Jon came to her rescue, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "Soon," he said vaguely, "where's Bran?"

"Doing his 'staring into nothing' thing in the tower," said Arya, rolling her eyes, "although, surely he already Saw you've arrived so he's probably on his way down now."

She was right. Not two minutes later, Bran Stark came into the room.

"Bran," Jon hurried towards him, hugging the young man awkwardly around the wheelchair.

Dany joined him, offering her hand up to him to shake, "I've heard a lot about you, I'm-"

"- Daenerys Stormborn Targaryen," said Bran. His voice was eerily monotone, "I've Seen you."

Dany wasn't sure how to respond to that so she awkwardly snapped her mouth shut.

"Congratulations on your engagement," he continued in the same eerie tone, "you will look beautiful in your wedding gown."

"Ooookay, she looks beautiful now. And that's enough with the creepy predictions," Arya rolled her eyes, coming to loop her arm with Dany's. She was obviously used to Bran's bizarre behaviour, "come on, my father wants to meet you."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dinner had been a pleasant affair. She met Jon's aunt and uncle who were perfectly nice and friendly. They had a lot of questions, wanting to better get to know the woman their nephew was marrying. They skittered over the fact that their affair had started while Dany was still a student, having been forwarned by Sansa.

Once dinner was over, everybody retired to the spacious sitting room, sitting together and chatting happily. Sansa was already half-starting to plan the wedding.

Bran was sitting alone by the window in his chair, staring outside silently. The rest of them seemed to be used to his antics and generally let him be.

Dany hesitantly walked over to him.

It may have been a trick of the light, but she thought she saw his eyes, milky-white and unseeing when she approached. She was almost sure she imagined it because at that moment he blinked and his eyes were dark blue again.

"Hey," she said tentatively, "Jon told me about everything that's happened on the night we defeated the Night King," she swallowed. The vacant look in his eyes was a bit unnerving, "he said that if it weren't for you we would probably all be dead, so... I wanted to thank you."

He stared at her, expressionless for a few moments. "All happened as it was meant to," he finally said cryptically.

 _Well that's... neither here nor there,_ Dany thought nervously, staring into his eerie blue eyes.

"I haven't congratulated you," he suddenly said.

"Oh..." Dany eyed him in confusion, wondering if there was something wrong with his memory, "you just did, before dinner..."

He kept staring at her, finally breaking the silence to say, "She will be a great witch. Very powerful. Just like her parents. Her little brother, too."

Dany's insides froze as her hand flew instinctively to the barely-noticeable bump on her stomach. She swallowed.

She murmured a quick 'thank you' and hurried back to join the others.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


Dany stepped back inside, gently closing the balcony doors.

She leaned down to press a tender kiss to her sleeping husband's forehead. His eyes twitched then fluttered slowly open.

"Hey," he murmured, careful not to disturb the infant who was currently sleeping on his chest, her tiny hand curled around his finger.

"Had a good nap?"

He hummed quietly in response, laying a gentle hand on his daughter's head, which was covered with wispy jet-black tufts of hair. The baby stirred then, stretching her tiny body and opening her mouth in a yawn. Her eyes opened sleepily, revealing deep blue under the delicate eyelids. 

She had her mother's eyes and her father's hair. A perfect blend of the two of them. Dany had never seen a more beautiful thing in her entire life.

They had named her Alyssa. After the legendary Targaryen princess who rode Meleys. Dany had no doubt she'd grow up to be just as fierce and brave as her namesake.

Dany reached out her arms, and Jon sat up, carefully transferring their daughter into her arms. The baby squirmed, lips pursed in a tiny pout.

"Are you hungry, sweetie?" cooed Dany, coming to sit next to Jon on the sofa, unbuttoning her top, "Here you go."

The baby latched on immediately, hungrily suckling at her mother's breast. Dany winced a little, "she's enthusiastic today."

Jon chuckled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pressing his forehead to her temple, "Be nice to your mother, Ally," he chided gently and Dany giggled. 

"She's just hungry," she murmured, running a finger through the baby's downy hair, "must've been a really good nap. Not that I can blame her," she leaned her head back against Jon's shoulder, "I sleep best in her daddy's arms as well."

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


They were married by the heart tree in the Godswood of Winterfell, surrounded by loving family and friends.

Sansa was playing the violin and the air felt suffused with magic. Despite his initial loud protests about her marrying at such a young age, Dany was sure she saw her brother wipe a tear after she and Jon had recited their vows.

When they sealed their vows with a kiss, Dany linked her arms behind Jon's neck, pulling him closer, kissing him deeply until somebody, probably Marg, yelled, "Get a room, you two!" from somewhere behind them.

They broke apart, laughing while their loved ones cheered around them.

Later that night they were laying in bed, bodies curled around each other. Jon's hand was resting tenderly on the growing bump in her stomach. She trailed her fingers along his arm, a bubble of emotion blooming in her chest.

It was only them, no spells or wands in sight, and yet... being with him, them together, felt like magic.

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


_The castle sang our echoes through the night,  
As we cast into each other a fire burning bright.  
Your fire and my ice are immortal in each other,  
Just like magic we come undone into one another._

  


⭐⭐⭐

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we're really done! 😅
> 
> Wow, this was one hell of a ride for me, and I'm grateful to all of you who tagged along.  
> When I started this story, I thought it would be around 10 chapters long. And I am astounded that it ended up being about twice as long. Who knew.
> 
> So I have some thank you's to dispense:
> 
> \- First and foremost, to my husband, who did a truly excellent beta work and spent countless hours discussing the story with me. You wouldn't believe how different some of the chapters ended up being after his input. He truly made this story a million times better than it would've been otherwise, I couldn't possibly ask for more. I love you, honey! 😍
> 
> \- Second, to all of you, dear readers. And especially those of you who took the time to comment. I appreciate every comment, your amazing input really blew my mind and I do hope you enjoyed the ride. I enjoy writing, but I don't think I would have the motivation to keep at it if I didn't get such a positive response. So, truly, thank you.
> 
> \- Last but not least, all the talented writers here in AO3. You guys are the reason I was inspired to write. I don't want to name any names (because, honestly, there are a lot), but I hope at least the majority of you know who you are (I tend to leave comments/kudos on works I like, so I hope I've shown my appreciation).
> 
> Ok, so... what's next?
> 
> \- Sequel? Probably not. I won't say "never" because I might want to revisit this verse at some point, but I have no plans for it at the moment. For me, the story ended exactly the way I wanted it to and I don't feel I have more to tell at this point. But who knows... stranger things have happened.
> 
> \- Other stories? Well, that's the plan! I've already started doing some research into the subject of what I hope will be my next work (I won't give any hints, just say that its Jonerys. Always). I can't say when it will happen. I won't start posting until I'm reasonably sure I can finish it... I loathe leaving things unfinished.
> 
> If you want to get notified when I post new stuff, please do sub to my user here in AO3. Another way, if you prefer, is to follow my [tumblr](https://mysticmyllee.tumblr.com/). I don't post much, but I'm going to at least make a post there if (when?) I post a new work.
> 
> So, thank you again! And I hope I'll see you again soon ;)


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